Nashville Concert Delay Raises Safety Concerns for Taylor Swift Fans, Reminiscent of Astroworld Incident
On Sunday night, Taylor Swift took the stage at Nissan Stadium in Nashville for her third show on the Eras Tour. However, what was supposed to be a night of music and fun turned into a terrifying experience for some fans who attended the concert.
During the concert, severe weather conditions prompted an advisory for fans to take shelter for over three hours. They were advised to remain calm and proceed to the covered and interior areas of the stadium. However, the situation soon turned into a nightmare for some fans who were caught in dangerous and cramped situations, reminiscent of the tragedy that occurred at the Houston Astroworld festival in October of 2021.
One concertgoer named Andrea, who had VIP seats to the show, took to TikTok to share her experience. She described feeling uncomfortable, unsafe and terrified during the incident. "At first, it was a little crowded, but it was fine," Andrea said, noting that concertgoers did have some room. However, as the situation progressed, fans were standing shoulder-to-shoulder with nowhere to go, making it difficult for Andrea to move around. She described how everyone was towering over her, and it got really tight in there.
Andrea went on to say that she thought it was going to be another Travis Scott fatality. In October of 2021, ten people died at the Astroworld festival in Houston due to a crowd surge. The tragedy sparked conversations about the safety of concerts and festivals while raising concerns about the lack of attention paid to the well-being of concertgoers.
The situation at the Nashville concert was made worse by the behavior of security guards, who Andrea said behaved aggressively while paramedics were trying to make their way through the crowd as multiple people were dropping down as they fainted due to exaustion or claustrophobia. At the start of the show, pandemonium broke out on the floor, causing Andrea to burst into tears rendering her unable to enjoy the performance. Her partner also faced the danger of being pulled under the weight of the surging crowd, as per Daily Mail.
The inclement weather conditions persisted throughout the evening, and Andrea decided to leave the venue, not wanting to risk being involved in further dangerous situations. "When lightning started hitting, I had to get out of there because I was not going to be in another crowd situation," she said.
WELL. We had our first rain show of The Eras Tour. And it was SO MUCH FUN. The dancers, band, crowd and I all pretty much turned into little kids joyfully jumping in puddles all night. I wanted to thank the crowd again for waiting for the weather to clear. And my amazing crew for… pic.twitter.com/OqdtiQaGhU
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 9, 2023
The incident at the Nashville concert has raised safety concerns for Taylor Swift fans. Fans have expressed their worries about the lack of attention paid to the well-being of concertgoers and the need for concert organizers to prioritize safety over profit.
In response to the situation, Taylor Swift took to Twitter to keep fans updated on the situation, stating she would perform the moment she was able to. "I know there's talk of a rainy weather vibe tonight, but I'm ready to play. See you soon!!" she said.
