What is Astroworld? Who is Travis Scott? And Other Things to Know About the Texas Music Festival Crush

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At least eight people were killed and many more were injured after a crowd rushed forward as rapper Travis Scott was on stage at the Astroworld Festival in Houston Friday night.

Local fire chief Sam Peña told CNN that the accident occurred when the crowd rushed toward the platform, crushing those at the front who were unable to escape.

He said that this raised a state of panic, exacerbated the situation and drowned the security men there.

Astroworld released a statement on Instagram on Saturday morning that read: “Our thoughts are with the Astroworld Festival family tonight – especially those we lost and loved ones.

We focus on supporting local officials however we can. With that in mind, the festival will not take place on Saturday [..] Thank you to our partners in the Houston Police Department, the Fire Department, and NRG Park for their response and support.”

Here’s what you need to know about Astroworld and Travis Scott:

Who is Travis Scott?

Travis Scott is a 30-year-old American Rapper, Singer, and Record Producer from Houston, Texas.

He is best known for his 2018 album Astroworld – for which the festival is named.

Travis Scott performs on the first day of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park on Friday, November 5, 2021, in Houston. Credit: Amy Harris/AFP

He is a famous artist and has previously collaborated with other notable rappers including Drake, Young Thug and others.

He shares a child with Kylie Jenner and the couple is expecting again.

What is Astroworld?

Astroworld is a music festival founded by Scott and held in Houston on the former site of Six Flags Astroworld — this year being its third iteration, having been canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scott first launched the festival in 2018, the same year the studio album of the same name was released, and the original lineup consisted of artists such as Post Malone, Metro Boomin, Lil Wayne, Scott himself, and others.

The 2019 edition of the festival came with an expanded lineup, which included more genres such as reggaeton and hard rock and was led by artists including Gucci Mane, Rosalia, Migos, Pharrell Williams and Megan thee Stallion.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 event, Scott teamed up with Epic Games to bring an Astroworld-themed virtual event into the “Fortnite” video game.

Festival-goers are seen on the first day of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park on Friday, November 5, 2021, in Houston. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/Associated Press) Credit: Amy Harris/AP

The 2021 version of Astroworld is described as including a new creative theme called “Open Your Eyes to a Whole New World” that will “bring back the lovable and nostalgic spirit to the legendary defunct theme park – AstroWorld – which Scott visited countless times as a kid,” according to For a press release about the festival of October.

A portion of Astroworld’s proceeds were to be donated to the festival’s official philanthropic partner, the Cactus Jack Foundation, which Scott founded “to empower and enrich young people’s lives by providing access to education and creative resources to ensure long-term success.”

Why Houston?

Houston is Scott’s home, where Six Flags Astroworld was once located.

That closed in 2005 and Scott named his third album after Amusement Park.

Who is assigned to perform?

The 2021 lineup included SZA, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, Earth, Wind & Fire, 21 Savage, Baby Keem, Chief Keef, Master P, BIA, Don Toliver, Young Thug and more.

In 2019, there were 50,000 visitors to Astroworld and 100,000 tickets were sold for the 2021 festival – tickets for this year’s edition sold out within 30 minutes of launch.

In previous years, the festival was a one-day event, and the 2021 edition was supposed to take place on November 5 and November 6.

Have there been problems with Astroworld before?

Three people were run over and hospitalized in November 2019 as thousands flock to the Astroworld festival.

They were all sent to the hospital with leg injuries, and the event proceeded as planned.

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