Travis Scott’s mammoth show in Rome has sparked controversy after causing ‘earthquake-like’ levels of movement, featuring a surprise appearance from Kanye West and reportedly leaving 60 fans injured.
The rapper brought his new album ‘Utopia’ to Italy on Monday (August 7) – holding a one-off show in Rome before he kicks off his upcoming tour of the same name. Originally, the first performance was set to be held at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, however, the date was ultimately cancelled.
However, for the gig at Italy’s Circus Maximus earlier this week, the event turned out to be more chaotic than pre-anticipated, and reports have come through that many fans were left injured at the concert.
First highlighted by CNN, at least 60 members of Scott’s 60,000-strong crowd were left needing medical attention after someone brought pepper spray to the show and used it on people in the crowd.
It also reported that, although nobody was gravely injured at the event as far as we know, one 14-year-old was also left needing medical assistance after they tried to scale a false wall to sneak into the concert, and fell 13 feet.
NME has reached out to Travis Scott’s representatives for comment.
Following the aftermath of the gig, some have begun worrying that holding live shows at the venue is causing damage to the ancient site, and have since created a campaign to halt all future events there.
These calls for change came from Alfonsina Russo, director of the head of the Colosseum Archeological Park, who called for an end to all future performances at the site. “The Circus Maximus is a monument. It is not a stadium, not a concert hall,” she said. “These mega rock concerts put it at risk, including the Palatine Hill nearby. Rock concerts should be held in stadiums so as not to endanger public safety.”
Situated at the bottom of the Palatine Hill near the Colosseum, Circus Maximus has become one of the city’s most popular concert venues in recent years and has seen performances by Guns N’ Roses, Bruce Springsteen and more in 2023.
As reported by CNN, the local fire services received “hundreds of calls” from concerned residents during the rap concert – who had mistaken the movement of the crowd for an earthquake in the Italian capital.
The set on Monday also featured a surprise appearance from Kanye West, who joined Scott for “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” and “Praise God.”
Introducing the controversial musician to the stage, Scott told the crowd: “There is no UTOPIA without Kanye West. There is no Travis Scott without Kanye West, there is no Rome without Kanye West.”
The controversy at his recent Rome show comes in light of the 2021 Astroworld tragedy that claimed the lives of 10 concertgoers by ‘compression asphyxia’. In June, Scott was cleared of any criminal charges for the incident.
More details on his upcoming tour, which is in support of his fourth studio album will be announced soon and tickets will be available here.
In a three-star review of Travis Scott’s recently released ‘Utopia’, NME described the album as a “lofty concept” that’s “shakily executed”, adding: “The Houston rapper’s first album since 2018 teases a brave new sonic world, but has little to say about what might happen if we get there.”
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