Travis Scott Concert: Italian Officials Downplay Reports After 60 are Injured

According to reports, a group released pepper spray into the crowd.

By Ashley Turner

An official from the Rome government has downplayed media reports of chaos at U.S. rapper Travis Scott's Monday concert at the ancient Circus Maximus, saying the news has been greatly exaggerated. During the opening night of his Utopia Tour, the 32-year-old hip-hop star met a crowd of around 60,000 excited fans at the historic site, which was once home to the Roman Empire's chariot races. In some media reports, the situation was said to have escalated when a group of people were said to have released pepper spray into the crowd. CNN reported that 60 people needed medical attention as a result of the incident. However, when speaking with THR Roma, alderman Alessandro Onorato, responsible for managing major events, sport, tourism, and fashion for the Rome municipal government, sought to diffuse the controversy.

"The story is not as it was reported," Onorato told The Hollywood Reporter. "It was three boys, I would say three criminals, who attempted to attack the cashier of the bar in the center of the Circus Maximus, using pepper spray as a weapon. The theft was averted by security, but the three fled. And the cloud irritated the people nearby." In some cases, people were treated for minor eye irritation and throat irritation, but there were no reports of serious injuries to the eye or throat. "The police have opened an investigation [into the attempted robbery], but as far as the concert and its management are concerned, there were no other problems or incidents," he said. "Zero medical incidents." According to the authorities, a 14-year-old boy who trespassed in an attempt to view the concert from a nearby hill fell from a height of 13 feet to the ground after trespassing. However, the authorities stress the incident occurred far from the venue.

The Colosseum's director, Alfonsina Russo, has warned that rock concerts might damage the ancient site. "No more rock concerts at the Circus Maximus," he demanded, insisting only opera and ballet should be performed there. Onorato calls such objections snobbish and crazy because the Circus Maximus concerts raise funds to help preserve Rome's historical sites, which he says is a necessity. According to him, the objections were more based on the music and on the average age of the audience rather than any real security or safety concerns. "The only other major concert to receive strong criticism was that of [Italian rock band] Måneskin," he notes. "We welcome safety discussions, but there's the risk that we're discriminating against an entire generation…personally I'm not a big fan of Travis Scott's music, [but] it's not up to us to decide which music is good and which is not. Not even during fascism did we see that." During Scott's Astroworld concert in Houston in November of 2021, 10 people were killed, and hundreds more were injured. A Texas grand jury declined to indict Scott and five other individuals due to the concert deaths.

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