Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus Concert Had Romans Fearing Earthquakes
Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus event in Rome has renewed concerns about hosting concerts at the historical site after the rapper’s 60,000-strong crowd created enough buoyant movement to register a 1.3 magnitude earthquake.
While Scott isn’t the only artist to perform at the Circus Maximus in recent years — Bruce Springsteen and Guns N’ Roses both played the historic venue in 2022 — the rapper’s Utopia celebration show was apparently the only one that caused significant seismic activity, with the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology noting that its stations “clearly registered the enthusiasm of Travis Scott fans in concert at Circus Maximus,” the New York Times reported.
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The institute’s Giovanni Diaferia tweeted that, at various points during Scott’s performance, the crowd’s jumping created a 1.3 magnitude earthquake. Italian authorities also said they received hundreds of calls from citizens about the tremors.
The ground activity now has historians and archeologists speaking out about the damaging impact these concerts could have on the venue and its nearby sites; the Circus Maximus resides at the bottom of the Palatine Hill near the Colosseum.
“The Circus Maximus is a monument. It is not a stadium, not a concert hall,” Alfonsina Russo, director of the head of the Colosseum Archeological Park, told the media (via CNN). “These mega rock concerts put it at risk, including the Palatine Hill nearby. Rock concerts should be held in stadiums so as not to endanger public safety.”
However, Alessandro Onorato, Rome’s City Council member responsible for tourism and events, defended Scott’s concert and all other Circus Maximus events, saying the revenue generated from the shows — as well as over $2 million in additional tourism money — is funneled back to the departments overseeing the historic sites, and thus saving Italians tax money.
While Onorato also stated that “zero people got hurt” during Scott’s concert (which only took place in Rome after his Egyptian pyramids gig was nixed), CNN reported that at least 60 people needed medical attention after pepper spray was dispersed into the crowd.
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