Approximately 60 individuals required medical attention following a concert by American rapper Travis Scott at Rome’s historic Circus Maximus on August 7.
The Meltdown artist kicked off his Utopia tour at the iconic venue – which was once the chariot racecourse of the Roman Empire – drawing a crowd of approximately 60,000 enthusiastic fans.
During the performance, controversial hip-hop veteran Kanye West made a guest appearance on stage alongside Scott, with the 32-year-old introducing him as the only “human being on this motherf–king planet that has ever walked side by side with me through anything and every motherf–king thing,” . The Gold Digger rapper has faced significant criticism for his online anti-Semitic statements.
Unfortunately, the event took a chaotic turn after a suspected pepper-spray incident, resulting in numerous injuries and around 60 individuals requiring medical treatment.
Among the injured was a 14-year-old who had attempted to enter the Circus Maximus to watch the show, but fell from a height of four meters while trying to evade security. The teenager was subsequently hospitalized.
Italian authorities have initiated an investigation into the matter, and the incident has stirred significant controversy, creating an “earthquake”-like effect throughout the city, according to certain public figures.
The director of the Colosseum archaeological park expressed a negative view towards rock concerts in the aftermath of the disturbance.
This is not the first time that one of Scott’s concerts has resulted in tragedy. In November 2021, a crowd surge at the Astroworld Festival in his hometown of Houston, Texas, caused the deaths of 10 individuals and left dozens more injured.