Astroworld promoter Live Nation has a history of safety violations
By Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business
Live Nation Entertainment, the concert promoter that organized the tragic Astroworld Festival, has been cited about a dozen times for numerous safety issues, records show.
Records on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website shows that Live Nation has been fined or sued on a variety of issues over the past decade, including an incident in 2018 when someone was struck in the head by a six-foot length metal post and had to be hospitalized.
In another incident in 2012, an employee died after falling through a “false ceiling” on a stage. The person wasn’t wearing any safety belts or other protection.
Live Nation is a concert promoter, venue operator and the owner of Ticketmaster. According to its website, it sells 500 million tickets to concerts and festivals each year. Shares dropped more than 6% Monday.
“Heartbroken for those lost and impacted at Astroworld last night,” Live Nation, the company responsible for organizing the Astroworld Festival, said in a previous statement. “We will continue working to provide as much information and assistance as possible to the local authorities as they investigate the situation.”
A lawsuit has been filed against rapper and producer Travis Scott, who was the organizer of the festival, as well as Live Nation. A jury trial is preferred to determine the exact amount of damages, according to the lawsuit, but Manuel Souza, who attended the concert, is seeking “monetary relief of over $1,000,000.”
Eight people died and many were injured after members of a densely packed crowd surged toward a stage and were crushed against each other at the Houston music festival Friday night. About 50,000 people were at the sold-out Astroworld Festival at NRG Park. Police are currently investigating what triggered the surge.
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