Rapper Travis Scott has announced his first tour since the tragic incident at his Astroworld Festival in 2021, which claimed the lives of 10 people and injured hundreds more. The tour, titled “Utopia – Circus Maximus”, will begin on October 11 in Charlotte, North Carolina and end in December in Toronto, Canada, after visiting 28 cities across North America.
A return to the stage after a long hiatus
Scott has been largely absent from the public eye since the Astroworld disaster, which occurred on November 5, 2021 at NRG Park in Houston, Texas. The festival, which Scott both organized and headlined, turned into a nightmare as thousands of fans surged toward the stage during his performance, crushing and suffocating many of them. The event was declared a “mass casualty event” by officials and sparked a series of lawsuits and investigations.
Scott expressed his devastation and condolences to the victims and their families in a video posted on his Instagram account shortly after the incident. He also said he was cooperating with the authorities and offered to pay for the funeral costs of the deceased. He was later cleared of criminal charges by the Houston District Attorney’s office in June 2023, but still faces civil litigation from many of the plaintiffs.
The rapper has not released any new music or performed live since then, except for a surprise appearance at the Circus Maximus in Rome, Italy earlier this month. The concert, which sold out 60,000 tickets in two days, was hailed as a success by fans and critics, but also raised concerns about the safety and environmental impact of such a large-scale event.
A new album and a new vision
Scott’s upcoming tour is named after his fourth studio album “Utopia”, which he released in July 2023. The album, which features collaborations with artists such as Drake, Kanye West, Kid Cudi and Rosalía, has been a commercial and critical hit, staying at the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 200 Albums chart for four weeks. The album is also a concept album that explores Scott’s vision of a utopian society where creativity and harmony prevail.
According to a press release, the tour will “transport fans into an unparalleled audiovisual experience” that will showcase Scott’s artistic evolution and ambition. The tour will also support Scott’s Cactus Jack Foundation, a charitable organization that benefits Houston youth through various initiatives such as toy drives, scholarship programs and educational resources.
Tickets for the “Utopia – Circus Maximus” tour will go on sale Thursday at 10 AM in the ticket buyer’s time zone. Fans can visit Scott’s official website for more information and updates.