Travis Scott Reflects on Astroworld Tragedy and His Path Forward

What was meant to be a joyful hometown celebration became one of the darkest moments in Travis Scott’s career. More than four years after the deadly Astroworld music festival, the rapper is once again speaking openly about the tragedy and what it has meant for him since.

In a Rolling Stone cover story published Wednesday, Jan. 21, Scott reflected on the 2021 festival in Houston, where 10 people died during a crowd crush.

"When I did that festival, I was trying to bring something to where I’m from, and when you look back, it’s like a time that was supposed to be so enjoyable just went wrong,” he told the outlet.

Scott shared that he hopes to someday help heal his city, but only if people are open to it.

"I would love to heal that in the city. But I would also want people to be receptive [to it]. I don’t want to force a reception."

He also said the tragedy has shaped how people see him.

"there’s a distorted view of who I am and what I care about."

Scott added, "I think there’s always been this distorted view of what I am. And it’s my responsibility just to keep showing what it really is.”

The Astroworld festival took place in November 2021 at NRG Park in Houston, Texas. Ten audience members were killed, and thousands more were injured due to a crowd surge.

Two years later, Scott told GQ for its Men of the Year Issue that the pain had never left him.

"I always think about it. Those fans were like my family," he said at the time. "You just feel for those people. And their families."

Scott explained that the emotional weight of Astroworld deeply influenced his 2023 album Utopia. He said it took "months and months and months" before he could return to making music.

"Making music, you think about things that go on in life and things that happen in your life, and you dial in on things. That moment for families, for the city, you know, it was devastating," he said.

He also described the process as healing, saying it was "therapeutic" to "be able to channel some of the energy into production and sounds and finishing it."

In his first interview after the tragedy, Scott told Good Morning America in December 2021 that he could not hear cries for help when the crowd surge began and said he stopped the show several times to protect fans.

The morning after the incident, festival organizers released a statement saying, "Our hearts are with the Astroworld Festival family tonight — especially those we lost and their loved ones. We are focused on supporting local officials however we can. With that in mind the festival will no longer be held on Saturday."

The statement continued, "As authorities mentioned in their press conference earlier, they are looking into the series of cardiac arrests that took place. If you have any relevant information on this, please reach out to @HoustonPolice. Thank you to our partners at the Houston Police Department, Fire Department, and NRG Park for their response and support."

While Scott faced possible criminal charges, a Texas grand jury decided not to take action in June 2023. In May 2024, the final wrongful death lawsuit was settled, according to Houston Public Media.

More than four years later, Scott says the tragedy still lives with him, shaping how he moves forward as an artist and as a person.