Videos promoting baseless satanic panic conspiracy theories are quickly gaining unprecedented virality on TikTok in the wake of the massive Astroworld Festival tragedy that resulted in at least eight deaths and multiple injuries.
Though they have been thoroughly debunked, satanic panic conspiracy theories have wreaked havoc on the American public for decades — polarizing the public, capitalizing on fear, and often promoting racist and antisemitic tropes. “Satanic panic” refers to a conspiratorial panic over supposed ritual abuse and child sacrifice that began in the 1980s in the U.S., eventually contributing to the evolution of antisemitic conspiracy theories such as QAnon.
Last week's Astroworld Festival, a music festival in Houston headlined by rapper Travis Scott, turned deadly when fans abruptly surged toward the stage, crushing and trampling concertgoers. According to NPR, “seventeen people were taken to hospitals, including 11 who were in cardiac arrest.” Officials are still looking for the cause of the surge; questions have been raised about whether inadequate security and medical staffing may have played a role in the response to events.
Thousands of attendees captured the horrific scene on camera, and videos of the traumatic events are widely circulating on TikTok, receiving millions of views. While many of these videos accurately depict the seriousness of the tragedy, misleading conspiracy theories claiming something “satanic” or “demonic” is to blame are also going viral. These conspiracy theories argue that the event was some sort of satanic ritual.
These videos often cite the science fiction and religious imagery Scott used in the performance as well as promotional campaign for the festival as evidence for unfounded conspiracy theories linked to satanic panic. Scott’s iconography, such as the shape of the main stage, a mechanical bird set on fire, his choice of attire, and the signage behind the stage are also receiving viral attention on the app.
The comments sections of videos of the festival also demonstrate that many people on TikTok are buying into satanic panic conspiracy theories. One video with 20.3 million views shows an individual’s chaotic experience from within the crowd, and many of the most-liked comments refer to satanism. “You CANNOT tell me this doesn’t look like a ritual,” reads one comment, with 161,000 likes. “100%. this is giving demonic. He sacrificed those lives” reads another comment, with 199,400 likes.
