Travis Scott will headline a festival almost exactly one year after Astroworld
The artist's comeback bid is underway.
Just six months or so after the Astroworld tragedies, Travis Scott has booked a headlining festival gig. The Primavera Sound Festival, which takes place on different days across three different cities in South America, announced its lineups this week, featuring the artist as one of its marquee performers in all three locations.
Scott will perform in Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Santiago in headlining sets throughout November. His first set in Sao Paulo will take place on Nov. 6, a day after the one-year anniversary of Astroworld, Scott’s own music festival that resulted in 10 deaths and numerous injuries last fall.
The news of Scott’s performance looks to be the start of a comeback campaign: hours earlier, a club in Miami announced a Travis Scott set at its venue in May, his first public performance (the rapper has performed in private VIP sets) since November. The club’s Instagram post announcing the set, though, has since been taken down. Meanwhile, billboards have begun popping up cryptically teasing his next album, likely titled Utopia.
After Astroworld, Scott has been at the heart of the controversy over how the chaotic crowd crush that resulted in the festival’s multiple deaths could have been prevented. He is currently facing multiple lawsuits, was replaced in his headlining spot at Coachella, and has had major brand deals thrown into crisis.
Nevertheless, his comeback bid is well underway. Scott unleashed an initiative in March meant to soften his image, and booking his first headlining gig in South America, where the blowback would undoubtedly be more muted than in the States, is no doubt a calculated move. Of course, it’s no surprise, that Scott would be safe to return to a spotlight nearly as bright as before — as a brand, he has been among the most profitable corporate products out there. Still, it’s surprising that it’d happen so soon.
