7 Concerts Remembered for Going Wrong, From Altamont to Woodstock ’99

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Most concerts end with a ringing in the ears and a sore back. A few end up in history books for much darker reasons. Crowd crushes, fires, violence and plain bad planning have turned some of the best known live events into cautionary tales.

The seven shows below are widely documented, and each one changed how promoters, venues and authorities think about safety. The details come from long established reporting and official inquiries, so they hold up well even years later.

Altamont Free Concert, 1969

Altamont Free Concert, 1969 (By Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain)
Altamont Free Concert, 1969 (By Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain)

The Altamont Speedway Free Festival took place in Northern California on December 6, 1969, and it featured the Rolling Stones, Santana, Jefferson Airplane and others. The Hells Angels were used as informal security, and tension built through the day as the crowd grew large and rowdy. Several people were hurt in fights near the stage.

During the Stones’ set, a young man named Meredith Hunter was stabbed and killed near the stage. Three other deaths were reported at the event, from a hit and run and a drowning. Altamont is often described as the moment the optimism of the 1960s counterculture cracked.

The Who Concert at Riverfront Coliseum, 1979

The Who Concert at Riverfront Coliseum, 1979 (Image Credits: Pexels)
The Who Concert at Riverfront Coliseum, 1979 (Image Credits: Pexels)

On December 3, 1979, The Who played at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. Seating was unreserved, known as festival seating, so thousands of fans pressed toward the doors as…

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Author : Matthias Binder

Publish date : 2026-10-12 08:09:00

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