‘SERIOUS CONCERNS’

Congress to Launch Probe Into Deadly Astroworld Concert

The House Oversight Committee has asked the chief executive of promotion giant Live Nation for information on the festival and the crowd surge there that killed 10 people.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee is launching a bipartisan investigation into Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival in Houston, asking the chief executive of promotion giant Live Nation for information regarding the crowd surge there that killed 10 people on Nov. 5. In a letter Wednesday to Michel Rapino, Live Nation’s CEO, leaders of the panel said that the company had until Jan. 7 to provide details on its role handling security, crowd control, safety, and more. “Recent reports raise serious concerns about whether your company took adequate steps to ensure the safety of the 50,000 concertgoers who attended Astroworld Festival,” the letter said. It also requested information on how Live Nation handled the disaster’s fallout, stating, “We are also concerned by reports about Live Nation’s conduct following Astroworld Festival,” referencing reports that the company withheld pay from part-time employees who worked at the festival until they “signed a revised employment contract.” Live Nation responded Wednesday afternoon with a statement saying it was cooperating with local authorities and would “of course share information with the Committee as well.”