What is Astroworld? Who is Travis Scott? Find out about this and more about the incident

(CNN) – At least eight people were killed and many others injured after a crowd jostled while rapper Travis Scott was on stage at the Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday night.

The incident occurred when crowds rushed onto the stage, crushing those in front who couldn’t escape, Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña told CNN on Saturday morning.

That caused panic and the situation worsened and overwhelmed security personnel, he said.

Astroworld released a statement on Instagram Saturday morning that read: “Our hearts go out to 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. [..] Thank you to our partners in the Houston Police Department, Fire Department and NRG Park for their response and support, “he adds.

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”, from which the name of the festival is derived. He is a popular artist and has previously collaborated with other prominent rappers such as Drake, Young Thug, and others. He has a son with Kylie Jenner and the couple are expecting another child.

What is Astroworld?

Astroworld is a music festival founded by Scott and held in Houston on the former site of the Six Flags Astroworld amusement park; This year is its third edition, as the year was canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic. The festival was first launched by Scott in 2018, the same year the rapper released the studio album of the same name, and the original line-up consisted of artists including Post Malone, Metro Boomin, Lil Wayne, Scott himself, and other artists.

The 2019 version of the festival came with a broader lineup as it included more genres such as reggaeton and hard rock and was headlined by artists such as Gucci Mane, Rosalia, Migos, Pharrell Williams and Megan You Stallion.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 event, Scott collaborated with Epic Games to host an Astroworld-themed virtual event in the “Fortnite” video game.

The 2021 edition of Astroworld featured a new creative theme called “Open Your Eyes to a Whole New Universe” that “will bring back the beloved spirit and nostalgia of the legendary and now-defunct amusement park, AstroWorld, which Scott visited countless times when he was child, “according to a press release about the festival.

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

Why in Houston?

Houston is Scott’s hometown, and it’s where Six Flags Astroworld once was located. The amusement park closed in 2005 and Scott named his third album after the theme park.

Who was going to show up?

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 attendees at Astroworld and 100,000 tickets for the 2021 festival went on sale; the tickets for this year were sold out within 30 minutes of the launch. In previous years, the festival was a one-day event, and the 2021 version was supposed to take place on November 5 and 6.

Have there been problems with Astroworld before?

No security issues related to the festival have been reported.