Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · July 18, 2025 · Entertainment

Beyoncé Concert Chaos: Escalator Stampede Injures 11 After Bug Panic

Beyoncé fans looking to get home after a concert this week in Georgia were beset by panic and widespread injuries after a stampede ensued at a nearby rail station in Atlanta

SHOCKING STAMPEDE ERUPTS AT BEYONCÉ CONCERT: 11 PEOPLE INJURED IN CHAOTIC ESCALATOR PILEUP

In a bizarre and terrifying incident, panic and chaos reigned supreme at the Vine City Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Station in Atlanta, Georgia, after a Beyoncé concert on July 14. The stampede occurred when thousands of frenzied fans attempted to leave the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Queen Bey had just finished her final show of the Cowboy Carter concerts.

As the crowd surged onto the escalator at the MARTA station, a young girl, reportedly only 10 years old, let out a blood-curdling scream after spotting a cockroach or "palmetto bug" scurrying across the pavement. The sheer terror she unleashed sent shockwaves through the throngs of concertgoers, causing them to stampede down the escalator in a frenzy.

Eleven people were injured after a stampede at the Vine City MARTA station reportedly led an escalator to malfunction shortly after midnight on July 15. Beyoncé's July 14 show was her final in the Atlanta area on her Cowboy Carter tour; pictured July 4 in Landover, Maryland

According to eyewitnesses, the panicked masses rushed onto the already overcrowded escalator, triggering a catastrophic chain reaction. The weight and momentum of the fleeing fans caused the escalator to speed up momentarily before coming to a jarring halt, sending people tumbling to the ground.

"It was like a scene from a horror movie," said one shaken concertgoer. "I was trying to get off the escalator, but it was like everyone around me had lost their minds. People were screaming, crying, and falling all over each other."

As the dust settled, MARTA officials confirmed that 11 people sustained injuries in the stampede, with one individual suffering a broken ankle and seven others requiring hospital transport for cuts and scrapes.

Stephany Fisher, senior director of communications for MARTA, suggested the commotion was set in motion when 'a person began screaming and running, causing a stampede on the escalator that caused it to temporarily speed up and then stop suddenly'

The incident has raised serious concerns about crowd control and safety measures at major events like Beyoncé's concerts. MARTA officials have launched an investigation into the malfunctioning escalator, which was inspected just days before the disaster but had its certification set to expire in August.

Schindler, the company that built the escalator, released a statement sympathizing with the injured fans and assuring that "there was no indication of equipment malfunction." Instead, they attributed the incident to the escalator being overloaded beyond design capacity, causing it to accelerate and then stop suddenly as part of its safety system.

As the investigation continues, MARTA officials have outlined plans to increase transit staffing at major events like Beyoncé's concerts to better coordinate passengers and ensure that only approved numbers are on escalators at a given time.

According to local station 11Alive, MARTA police chief Scott Kreher said a 10-year-old girl began screaming outside the station after seeing a cockroach, which led people in the station to panic and overload the escalator

Beyoncé fans are still reeling from the shocking incident, which has left many wondering what could have caused such chaos. As the pop icon prepares for her next two-night run in Las Vegas on July 25 and 26, concertgoers will be keeping a close eye on crowd control measures to ensure that similar disasters do not occur.

TheScholarlyNote.com has reached out to MARTA officials for comment, but has yet to receive a response.

Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.

According to MARTA's acting CEO Rhonda Allen, the quick movements of the people on the escalator, combined with the immense weight on the device caused it to speed up at first, before it came to a dead stop

The sudden jerk tossed passengers onto the ground and reportedly led to many of the injuries. Some videos showed passengers helping injured people off the ground

One particularly gruesome clip showed a person's leg that appeared to have been severely lacerated in the stampede as it oozed blood

The escalator was reportedly inspected and passed on July 10, and it was again inspected the morning after the malfunction

According to the manufacturer, 'It appears that the escalator was overloaded beyond design capacity causing the unit to briefly accelerate and the brakes to engage as part of the unit¿s multi-layered, code-required safety system'

'One person suffered a broken ankle, seven people were transported to the hospital with cuts and scrapes, and one person declined transport,' Fisher said. 'Two people requested medical assistance after reaching their destinations'

In order to decrease the likelihood of such mishaps in the future, Allen outlined a plan to the board for more 'aggressive' transit staffing at major events like Beyoncé's concert to ensure the escalators aren't overloaded

Beyoncé will next be performing a two-night run in Las Vegas on July 25 and 26; pictured in 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey