• Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy revisits the gang crush that left 10 lifeless at Travis Scott's Astroworld Competition in 2021.
• The movie claims that poor planning, ineffective stage placement, and sluggish responses from these in cost all exacerbated the severity of the occasion.
• Directed by Yemi Bamiro and Hannah Poulter, the documentary is now streaming on Netflix.

In November 2021, 10 concertgoers died and tons of had been injured throughout a terrifying crowd crush that occurred throughout rapper Travis Scott's headlining set at Astroworld, an annual music competition in Houston hosted by the favored rapper.

Now, roughly 4 years since that night time, Netflix is exploring the myriad of alleged planning and personnel failures that resulted within the calamity with a brand new documentary, Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy.

Directed by Yemi Bamiro and Hannah Poulter, the movie goals to seize the horrors of the night and the specifics of what went fallacious via interviews with Astroworld workers, concertgoers, and the buddies and households of victims. (The Houston Police Division launched a 1,266-page report on their investigation into the tragedy in 2023. A grand jury declined to indict Travis Scott, Dwell Nation, and different organizers on prison fees. In 2024, Scott and Dwell Nation settled wrongful dying lawsuits stemming from the incident.)

Method with warning in the event you're claustrophobic — the movie's footage of attendees crushed within the chaos is tough to abdomen.

It additionally highlights commentary from Scott Davidson, a crowd security knowledgeable recruited to work with Dwell Nation, who managed the competition, within the aftermath of the tragedy. Davidson says he was given a "treasure trove" of proof, together with website plans, emails, and textual content messages, to assist in his investigation into Astroworld's failures.

"I imagine Astroworld 2021 was not an accident. It was an inevitability attributable to an absence of foresight and the abandonment of primary security protocols," Davidson says within the documentary, including that he was "shocked" by what he discovered.

Under, we unpack the most important bombshells from Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy.

Astroworld workers allegedly misplaced management of the gates

Although the crush occurred throughout Scott's headlining set, Astroworld 2021 was a catastrophe from the minute the gates opened. Footage from the day in query reveals attendees dashing the entrances, barreling previous safety, and knocking over steel detectors.

Whereas this type of conduct isn't shocking, it's often thought-about through the planning course of. Within the documentary, Mark Lentini, a former commander for the Houston Police Division, opines, "What was occurring was so completely predictable, [but] there didn't appear to be any contingency plans or mitigating."

Travis Scott opens up about 'devastating' Astroworld tragedy Music events that have ended in tragedy

Jackson Bush, who labored safety at Astroworld 2021, says within the documentary that he was employed the night earlier than the competition began. He additionally claims that he was given no steering onsite. "The one directions that we had got here from different employees that was working with us," he says. "They had been like, 'Hey, they gonna rush the gates, so y'all be prepared.'"

The chaos on the entry factors distracted the competition's safety and attending cops to such a level that folks with out tickets started climbing fences and streaming onto the competition grounds.

A number of interviewees comment that this type of chaos is to be anticipated at Scott's live shows. The rapper is understood for riling up audiences, typically encouraging them to climb onstage and bypass safety. In 2015, Scott was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after telling a Lollapalooza crowd to "put a center finger as much as safety proper now" and leap over safety obstacles throughout his set. Scott pleaded responsible and was sentenced to at least one 12 months of courtroom supervision, according to Rolling Stone.

Kirby Gladstein, a photographer who labored Astroworld, says she was instructed by competition organizers to "lean into the followers and the chaos."

Gladstein additionally notes {that a} promo video for the 2021 competition, which is proven within the documentary, incorporates footage of attendees breaking down fences making an attempt to get in. "It was confused to us that we attempt to match that vitality, exhibiting how loopy all of it is," she says.

"That sort of vitality," Davidson notes, "requires a excessive degree of planning."

Dwell Nation allegedly bought extra tickets than had been secure for the venue

In accordance with Davidson, Dwell Nation bought 50,000 tickets to Astroworld "earlier than they'd labored out how this quantity would be capable to safely view Travis' set." Later, he cites a discovering that Scott's stage solely had viewing capability for simply 35,000.

"They deliberate for a lot of hundreds extra folks than may safely view Travis' efficiency," claims Davidson, who provides that the total variety of attendees stays unknown since so many unticketed folks managed to slide inside.

Davidson additionally cites textual content message exchanges he seen between "key members" of Dwell Nation administration who mentioned not understanding how the competition would accommodate 50,000 folks.

"The sellable capability for the venue was set by SMG International and authorized by the Houston Hearth Division (HFD) earlier than tickets went on sale," reads an announcement from Dwell Nation proven on the finish of The Astroworld Tragedy. "The variety of tickets bought, and attendees on website didn’t exceed the authorized capability."

Poor planning resulted in a single aspect of Scott's viewers being much more packed than the opposite

One of many greatest failures of Astroworld 2021, in line with Davidson, was the location of Scott's stage, which may solely be approached from the left-hand aspect.

For the reason that stage had a T-shaped barrier system that break up the viewing space down the center — a standard function of competition levels — this meant the "configuration created a entice on the left-hand aspect of the stage."

With correct signage and safety, Davidson believes audiences may have been directed to circle across the rear of the viewing space to take a spot on the right-hand aspect. As a substitute, all of them piled into the left-hand aspect. "And so the compression simply constructed and constructed the place folks couldn’t escape," explains Davidson.

Travis Scott, Drake, Dwell Nation sued over 'predictable, preventable' Astroworld tragedy

This was compounded by the truth that Scott's stage was used just for Scott's set, that means an enormous inflow of followers all streamed in the direction of his stage across the identical time.

All the attendees showing within the documentary recall the fear of the gang crush, which made it tough to maneuver or breath. As an increasing number of our bodies compress into one another, the danger of falling and being trampled will increase exponentially. A number of concertgoers recount the "stacked" our bodies piling up round them throughout Scott's set.

A medical expert concluded that every one 10 Astroworld deaths had been brought on by compression asphyxiation. Every of them was on the left aspect of the stage, in line with the doc.

"HFD, SMG International, and the Houston Police Division (HPD) had been conscious of the occasion plans, which had been developed in keeping with security codes," reads an announcement from Dwell Nation proven within the documentary.

Dwell Nation let the present go on regardless of allegedly understanding the severity of the scenario

One of many extra distressing revelations within the documentary considerations allegations that Dwell Nation representatives understood the severity of the scenario however allowed the live performance to go on anyway. As Davidson places it, a "widespread denominator" within the Astroworld 2021 incidents was "a failure to talk fact to energy."

In accordance with Davidson, solely two Dwell Nation representatives had the authority to cease the present within the occasion of an emergency. He says this can be a deviation from the norm: "Any key resolution maker, from police, hearth, EMS, or Dwell Nation, ought to've been in a position to in a short time provoke a show-stop course of."

In accordance with ABC Information, Houston Police was conscious of trampling and a number of accidents as early as 9:30 p.m. Lentini says within the documentary that legislation enforcement was on the lookout for a supervisor from Dwell Nation about doubtlessly ending or delaying the live performance, however "couldn't discover him." As ABC notes, Houston Police noticed the live performance as a possible "mass casualty occasion" by 9:38 p.m.

Per transcripts reviewed by Davidson, a Dwell Nation supervisor allegedly spoke to the audio engineer at 9:52 p.m., ordering the live performance "shut down" by 10 p.m. Davidson notes the supervisor was conscious of the severity of the scenario by that time, quoting the supervisor as saying they witnessed "extra crush victims than I've ever seen in my 25-year profession."

However the live performance didn't cease at 10 p.m. As a substitute, it went on for at the least one other 12 minutes. As Davidson tells it, Astroworld organizers and police frightened about triggering a "crowd panic" by stopping the live performance abruptly. "The thought of a efficiency persevering with whereas even on CPR in progress is underway is insane. Unprecedented," he says.

Davidson additionally cites alleged textual content messages between Dwell Nation staffers that additional underscore how critical they knew the crush was turning into. "Panic in folks's eyes. This might worsen shortly," reads one. "Somebody's going to finish up lifeless," reads one other.

"The Competition Security & Danger Director and HPD representatives agreed to and executed an early present cease," reads an announcement from Dwell Nation.

Conspiracy theories muddled the reality following the tragedy

Within the aftermath of the tragedy, conspiracy theories shortly unfold on-line and within the information media.

Because the BBC reported on the time, a number of social media posts went viral by calling the occasion "Satanic," speculating that the crush was a part of a "ritualistic sacrifice."

One other distinguished concept highlighted within the documentary blamed the medical emergencies on tainted medication being injected into concertgoers' necks with a needle.

As attendees observe, these theories solely served to distract from the precise causes, together with poor planning and sluggish responses by these in authority.

"These folks didn’t die from a needle of their neck," says one concertgoer within the documentary. "The solutions are proper there in entrance of you. We're telling you what occurred. Why are folks not listening to us?"

A long-lasting friendship shaped between an attendee and the concertgoer whose life she saved

The Astroworld Tragedy is a harrowing watch, however there’s one brilliant spot. Early within the movie, we meet Sophia, a lady who had simply gotten her nursing license weeks earlier than the live performance. We additionally meet Arturo, who suffered a coronary heart assault through the present and, if not for Sophia's intervention, possible would have died.

Years following the live performance, the 2 stay shut. "There's no method that this all occurred and we don't speak afterwards," she says.

"Hopefully we're buddies endlessly," says Arturo.

The place can I watch Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy?

Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy is at the moment streaming on Netflix.

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