LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the wake of the deadly crowd surge at a music festival in Texas, concert venues in Kentucky are taking a hard look at safety protocols at general admission concerts.
Following the deadly stampede at rapper Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas that ended with at least nine people killed and dozens injured, the incident is prompting discussions locally about safety and security at concerts.
Christian Adelberg, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Kentucky Performing Arts, says safety is their top priority, especially when it comes to capacity limits.
While Louisville’s Old Forester Paristown Hall is a smaller venue with a capacity limit of 2,000, compared to the 50,000 plus packed crowd in Houston, concert venues are taking the necessary precautions.
"We are always taking a look at the security plans that we have in place for every event, making sure that we’re doing everything in light of the terrible tragedy," explains Adelberg.
Even before a person steps inside the venue, Adelberg says there’s a plan of how much security is hired, and making sure everyone is properly informed on the event.
Paristown Hall is usually equipped with 16 security personnel for high demand shows.
"Making sure that we’re going to have ample security, to make sure that we have all the equipment that we need, the personnel that we need, and a solid plan in place with contingencies built in,' said Adelberg.
The facility already has plans underway for traffic control for Louisville rapper Jack Harlow’s “No Place Like Home" tour next month.
Adelberg says all those with security are in constant communication and if a problem occurs, they can easily get any issue resolved quickly.
"Our head of security for that event does have the ability to cut the audio feed, turn on the lights, put on an emergency message, and stop the show if a situation starts to get out of hand," adds Adelberg.
He adds this incident, though heartbreaking, shouldn’t have concertgoers question whether or not to attend a music venue in Louisville.
"To keep people safe whenever they come to a show because you should be able to enjoy live entertainment in a safe place," suggests Adelberg.
Officials say the investigation into how the tragedy occurred is ongoing.