Questions asked over Marvel Stadium security measures for Travis Scott concerts

Reports and imagery of concertgoers jumping barricades, fighting and throwing objects into the audience during American rapper Travis Scott's concerts at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium this week have led to questions over the adequacy of the venue's security arrangements.

Scott hit the stage at Marvel Stadium as part of his Circus Maximus World Tour Tuesday night (22nd October) after opening the Australian leg of his tour in Sydney last week.

Video imagery of fans showed groups hurling various objects into the audience and breaking barricades and carrying them over their heads as mounted Victoria Police attempted to disperse attendees.

At Wednesday's concert, fans were seen engaging in physical altercations with security guards as they attempted to breach security barriers to enter the mosh pit.

Subsequent footage emerged of a security guard appearing to fly-kick a concertgoer while one fan reportedly suffered a seizure after trying to bypass barricades.

It has been reported that five people were taken to hospital from Wednesday night’s event.

Commenting on the incidents to media, Richard Theodorakis, Director of Melbourne-based Pride Security Group, said the safety of security guards and patrons was at risk.

Theodorakis told 7News "a lot of the incidents started from the second lines formed at the front and, if you look at the footage, those lines are quite dense and wide, meaning for police to have any effect, someone could just rush into that crowd and you’d never find them again.

“That gives confidence to the crowd, they know they’ve out-numbered police and security.

“Even to the early stages of moving people inside, you could see people running in and acting up almost straight away.”

Marvel Stadium said it had employed more than the usual number of security personnel for night one and increased the number again on night two. It said it would conduct a post-concert review with security contractors.

Travis Scott fans break the fence and throw trash while waiting in line for his ‘Circus Maximus’ show in Melbourne. pic.twitter.com/vXQx4fZDdW

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 24, 2024

In a statement released late yesterday, a Marvel Stadium spokesperson advised "more than 55,000 fans attended the concert’s second night. While most behaved appropriately, some were denied entry or ejected for misconduct.

“The Stadium has today become aware of concerning vision on social media showing some patrons undertaking unacceptable behaviour and a separate piece of vision involving a security guard detaining a person after they attempted to gain unauthorised access to the arena, in which medical attention was provided.

“The Stadium is currently undertaking a post-event debrief with our security contractors.”

The incidents are not the first time that the rapper’s concerts have been the scene of dangerous crowd behaviour.

A 2021 performance at the Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas, USA resulted in a crowd stampeded in which 10 people - the youngest aged just 9 - were killed and hundreds more were injured.

In 2023, a US grand jury reportedly declined to indict Scott and five other people, including the manager of the festival.

However, Scott settled about 100 lawsuits in the US this week over his 2021 Astroworld festival in Houston during which 10 people - the youngest aged just 9 - were crushed.

Claimants filed cases against the rapper and Live Nation alleging they exceeded the venue’s capacity.

Many cases remain open and some may go to trial.

Scott's current worldwide tour, which has already visited North America, South America and Europe, marks Scott’s first time hitting the road since these events.

Image: Travis Scott in concert (top left) and fans outside Marvel Stadium on 22nd October. Picture Tiktok/@Taariqstar/Instagram/Travis Scott.