Controversies over Travis Scott's concert at the Circus Maximus

The Circus Maximus, one of the most emblematic and historic sites in Rome, has recently taken on a controversial role as a venue for large-scale concerts. As reported by Repubblica, Alfonsina Russo, the director of the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum, has raised concerns about the practice of hosting major events within the Circus Maximus, arguing that such events could jeopardize the integrity of the monument itself: «It is a monument. It is not a stadium, nor a concert hall. These mega rock concerts put it at risk, just as the nearby Palatine Hill is at risk in perspective.» The concerns have arisen following Travis Scott's recent concert, which attracted a crowd of 70,000 people and sparked controversy throughout the country over the event's management.

Indeed, the jumping of the crowd caused several seismic events throughout the evening, and numerous residents of Rome reported the phenomenon, fearing that an earthquake was hitting the city. Subsequently, the seismographs of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv) confirmed that the fans' enthusiasm had indeed created perceivable seismic waves, as had happened a few weeks ago during Taylor Swift's concert in Seattle. Scott's concert also made headlines for disrupting the city's traffic for several hours and for reports of pepper spray being sprayed among the crowd. These events have led law enforcement to be particularly attentive to security management.