Scott performed Utopia album in Circus Maximus.

A flurry of people in Rome rushed to Twitter on Monday night to ask if there had been an earthquake, with the city's fire brigade reportedly receiving dozens of calls from worried residents.

The alarm was raised at around 21.45, shortly after American rapper Travis Scott took to the stage at the Circus Maximus to perform material from his newly-released album Utopia.

Among those racing to social media was television host Caterina Balivo who wrote on Twitter: “Did anyone feel the earthquake in Rome? Or did I dream it?"

Other residents in central and south Rome noted that "the whole house is shaking", another wrote: "I live in San Giovanni, top floor. The bed and chandelier shook, clearly."

With silence from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the finger of blame was quickly pointed at Travis Scott who performed in front of around 60,000 people, with rapper Kanye West making a surprise appearance.

Entrada épica do Kanye West de surpresa na performance de UTOPIA do Travis Scott agora em Roma.

Kanye está voltando, isso mesmo!pic.twitter.com/7KGHeh5lVQ— Rap World (@rapworldbr) August 7, 2023

Separately, footage emerged of panicked concertgoers surging away from the stage after somebody reportedly used pepper spray in the middle of the crowd.

Videos showed the crowds climbing over barriers and there were reports of parents getting split up from their children in the ensuing crush.

The Travis Scott concert came two days after Imagine Dragons performed in the Circus Maximus and one month after Guns N' Roses played the coveted Rome venue.