House Oversight Committee opens probe into Astroworld tragedy

December 22, 2021

Representatives in the Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to Live Nation Wednesday requesting information into the Astroworld tragedy, the first step in a planned probe into the Travis Scott festival in Houston that left 10 people dead and hundreds injured.

The 5 lawmakers on the bipartisan committee addressed the letter to Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, as the concert giant was responsible for “planning, staffing, putting up money, securing permits, finding vendors, communicating with local agencies.”

“Recent reports raise serious concerns about whether your company took adequate steps to ensure the safety of the 50,000 concertgoers” the letter states.
“For instance, reports indicate that security and medical staff were inexperienced or ill-equipped to deal with mass injuries. Some attendees stated that the placement of barricades made it difficult to escape. Experts have stated that Astroworld oganizers failed to heed warning signs.”

The committee requested that Live Nation CEO provide “contracts related to Astroworld Festival security, communications, and medical care” by Jan. 7, as well as provide written answers for 8 questions regarding the tragedy, including “reports that Live Nation has withheld pay from Astroworld employees until they have signed revised employment contracts that release Live Nation from liability.”

The Committee on Oversight and Reform also asked to explain why — if the festival was declared a “mass casualty event” at 9:38 p.m. — Live Nation waited until 10:10 p.m. to stop the concert.

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