Recently, a focus on the safety of the fans in a crowd has gained attention after the tragedy at the Astroworld festival. The force of a crowd surge can move any person in sight and cause a crowd collapse. Crowd surges pose a risk of danger and can be fatal for individuals in the crowd.       

       On Nov 5, rapper and producer Travis Scott held the Astroworld Festival in Houston, named after his 2019 album “Astroworld.” The Houston native accumulated a sold-out crowd of around 50,000 people. Once the event started, chaos unleashed, causing mosh pits and injuries. A total of 10 individuals from ages 9 to 27  were killed as a result of being trampled or suffocated and over 300 injuries were reported.  

       Many put the blame on Travis Scott for his lack of attention to the emergencies and for not canceling the show. Scott responded to the criticism saying, “It wasn’t really until minutes until the press conference [after the show] that I figured out what happened. Even after the show, you’re just kind of hearing things, but I didn’t know the exact details.” 

              Many fans believed that Scott could have done more to stop the incident from further escalating.

   “He could have stopped the concert fast and tried to get people to help them or get the paramedics to the scene,” senior Ethan Silber said.

      Alongside the blame on Scott, speculation on the amount of security at the concert has risen.  The safety and organization of the event begs the question of what could have been changed to prevent the tragedy from occurring.

    “There could have been more security and organization at the event to prevent anything bad from happening,” senior Jaxton Culberth said.

          Since the tragedy, many survivors have spoken out about their experiences from the festival. “Once I was down, one after another there would be layers of people who would follow me. Since I was on the bottom, no one could see me cause there were a good six to seven people on top of me,” 17-year-old Astroworld survivor Cooper Downerd said.

        There have been arguments that minors should not be allowed entry because of their risk of injury. For example, December’s Rolling Loud concert in California recently added an age restriction for ages 18 and older. 

        “We welcome everyone to experience our festivals. However, in light of recent events, we will be implementing an 18+ policy specific only to our upcoming 2021 California festival,” Rolling Loud said on Twitter.

      “In my eyes, if it is a really packed area, I wouldn’t want to bring a child because you never know what could happen but it is always up to the parents to decide,” Silber said.

             Others disagree with this new implementation for large venues.

    “Children should be able to attend places like that, but it should be up to the parents, and [children] shouldn’t be in a hectic place like a mosh pit,” senior Terrence Jackson said.

    While concerts may be exciting and thrilling for most attendees, remembering to prioritize safety at the event is essential. Understanding the surroundings at the venue can help prevent injury and harm.

    “You can stay safe in large venues by being away from the mass of people and [finding] a solid place to be in without danger,” Jackson said.

     Making sure fans are in a comfortable area where they can move without the presence of others squeezing them also can help improve attendees’ safety at a large event.

   “You definitely need to be aware of your surroundings and know what’s going on. Move when you need to and know what to do in different situations,” Culberth said.