Sony Music Partner Sues Live Nation Over Astroworld Festival

LOS ANGELES, CA — Live Nation Worldwide Inc. is being sued by a Sony Music merchandising agency partner that seeks to recover monetary damages resulting from the promoter's alleged negligence and willful misconduct during the 2021 Astroworld festival that featured rapper Travis Scott.

Ceremony of Roses LLC contracted to provide various attractions and carnival games during the Astroworld festival, which was ended after 10 fans died and hundreds more were injured when the crowd stampeded the entrance on the first day of the event.

"The tragic events during Travis Scott's performance at the festival and Live Nation's role therein have been widely covered by the press and the subject of hundreds of lawsuits to date," the Los Angele Superior Court suit states. "As the promoter, operator, manager and ultimate financial beneficiary of the festival, Live Nation was responsible for all aspects of the festival and the safety of festival attendees."

As a result of Live Nation's alleged negligence, the festival's opening night "turned into a mass casualty event," according to the complaint.

A Live Nation representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Thursday.

The festival took place Nov. 5, 2021, at NRG Park in Houston. COR contends Live Nation made multiple representations about having adequate security present at Astroworld, but the promoter instead "opted to cut corners and failed to take even minimal precautions to prevent a mass casualty event at the festival, presumably to increase its already outrageous profit margins."
COR suffered damages because the company had entered into an agreement with another festival promoter, Scoremore Holdings LLC , in which COR agreed to finance, set up, operate and tear down the Astroworld amusements in exchange for the right to recoup from revenues all of its out-of-pocket costs and 50% of all revenues thereafter, the suit states.

COR invested at least $700,000 in out-of-pocket costs to set up and operate the festival amusements, which were fully operable when the crowd rush occurred and caused the event to be abruptly ended, the suit states.

Live Nation is responsible for the tragedy that ensued as well as the festival's cancellation, according to the suit, which seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.