Travis Scott Excludes Hometown Houston From Upcoming Utopia Tour After Astroworld Tragedy
By Fiyin Olowokandi on August 31, 2023 at 3:00 PM EDT
Travis Scott is taking no chances when it comes to Houston! The sensational rapper is avoiding the site of the fatal crowd crush that turned his Astroworld music festival into a horror movie.
The Houston-born rapper has not been the same since the 2021 tragedy left him battling lawsuits and trying to settle with grieving families. After laying low for nearly two years, the entertainer is finally returning to the road.
The 32-year-old recently announced a nationwide tour to commemorate his new album "Utopia." However, fans were shocked to learn the media personality's hometown had been excluded from the list of cities he planned to visit.
Travis Scott To Hit 28 Locations In His Upcoming Tour Without Stopping At Houston
The "SICKO MODE" hitmaker promoted his highly-anticipated "Utopia Circus Maximus Tour" in his latest Instagram update. The record producer shared a unique cover art for the upcoming project alongside a list of his performance locations and their expected dates.
The tour's flier housed a painting of a nude woman adorned in a pearl necklace and stud green earrings. The inanimate figure flaunted red lips and matching nails, an over-the-top glam for someone about to eat a hotdog.
After showing off the art by George Condo, the next slide featured the cover alongside the list of dates and cities for the "Utopia Circus Maximus Tour." The schedule showed the 32-year-old would kick off his nationwide stint on October 11 in Charlotte and conclude the concerts in Toronto on December 29.
The list included 26 stops in the US and 2 stops in Canada. Although he shall visit Texas on the tour, the "CAN'T SAY" artist's shows would be held in Austin and Dallas instead of Houston.
"Utopia tour. On sale Thursday. 10 am local time. Travisscott.com," the Cactus Jack Foundation owner announced in the caption. The post received over a million likes and several comments from fans, who could not believe the rapper skipped his hometown.
Many speculated the media personality excluded Houston because of the Astroworld tragedy. One commenter wailed: "He can't even come back home," while another quipped: "'No Houston' Bro wants to make it through the tour alive."
"Bro, scared to do Houston? Lol," a third taunted Scott, with more social media users expressing disappointment over the exclusion. "NO HOUSTON ARE YOU CRQZY?!!!?!!?" A fan exclaimed. "Bro, it's insane how HOUSTON is not on there…" a fellow heartbroken follower penned.
"No Houston makes me cry," someone claimed while another called out the Grammy nominee for no longer caring about his hometown. "Man, you don't love us back home in the H," the individual declared.
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One fan found the situation ideal to spin a funny pun, referencing the iconic Apollo 13 phrase. "Houston?…we got a problem," the social media user chimed. Meanwhile, another commenter doubted their sight, writing: "My eyes must be tripping. WHERE IS HOUSTON."
The Teen Choice Award Winner Reached An Undisclosed Settlement With Astroworld Victim's Family
Weeks before shocking fans with his Houston exclusion, the father of two made headlines for reaching a monetary settlement with one of the Astroworld tragedy victims. The family of 14-year-old John Hilgert sued the entertainer for the teenager's death at his music festival.
The deceased's loved ones were one of the grieving families who filed lawsuits against the "Love Galore" rapper following the 2021 crowd crush incident. Hilgert's relatives reportedly settled their complaints against Scott for an undisclosed amount in monetary compensation.
The payment made the family the third group to settle their Astroworld suits. Before the teenager's loved ones, the families of Axel Acosta and Brianna Rodriguez had ended their grievances with the media personality. While the 32-year-old was making headway in the Astroworld aftermath, there was still a long way to go.
Several civil suits were filed against the Astroworld festival's organizers and the record producer by thousands of displeased concertgoers. However, it was unclear when the embattled duo would be free of these legal battles.
Scott became embroiled in lawsuits after his performance at the NRG Park in Houston on November 5, 2021. Before the mass crush happened during the BET Award winner's show, there were reportedly crowd control issues that the organizers failed to address.
Additionally, the "BUTTERFLY EFFECT" artist was accused of continuing his performance even though people were getting injured and killed in the crowd. These claims caused the father of two to receive backlash for not ending the concert early.
