Travis Scott’s performance on Monday at the ancient site of Rome’s Circus Maximus caused the ground to vibrate so vigorously that locals feared there was an earthquake, The New York Times and TMZ report. Reverberations from the 60,000 or so attendees, particularly during Kanye West’s surprise appearance, registered on a seismogram several miles away.
In a separate incident, attendees at the show reported the release of a chemical substance, possibly pepper spray, which left some 60 concertgoers requiring attention for eye and throat irritation. No severe injuries were reported.
Alfonsina Russo, a prominent archaeologist, questioned the wisdom of holding such events at the historic site. She told the Italian news agency Agenzia Giornalistica Italia that Circus Maximus should be preserved for opera and ballet, and that “mega-concerts put it at risk.” But Alessandro Onorato, a member of Rome’s local government, defended the Circus Maximus concerts, saying they brought in money needed to preserve historic sites in Rome.
The concert heralded the arrival of Scott’s new album, Utopia. The day of its release, the Houston Police Department published its full investigation into the Astroworld tragedy, including reports that warnings were relayed, unheeded, to Scott during the show. No criminal charges will be brought against the rapper.
Scott had initially planned to hold his Utopia release concert at the Pyramids of Giza, but the plan ran aground amid chaotic back-and-forths and competing reports of its viability from Scott’s team and local authorities.
