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Swift postpones Rio concerts, 'devastated' by fan's death

November 19, 2023

During a Taylor Swift show in Rio de Janeiro, a fan fell ill in the sweltering heat and later died. The pop star has said she postponed an Eras Tour show due to the extremely high temperature.

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Taylor Swift fans wait for the doors of Nilton Santos Olympic stadium to open for her Eras Tour concert amid a heat wave in Rio de Janeiro
Taylor Swift fans in Rio de Janeiro hide under umbrellas during heat waveImage: Silvia Izquierdo/AP/picture alliance

A day after the death of a fan who fell ill in a sweltering concert, US pop star Taylor Swift postponed her show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday because of the scorching heat.

"The decision has been made to postpone tonight's show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio," Swift wrote on Instagram. "The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to, and always will, come first."

Rio hit a record high of 59.3 degrees Celsius (139 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday for the heat index, which combines temperature and humidity. On Saturday, the heat index peaked at 59.7 degrees Celsius.

About 60,000 fans had gathered Friday for Swift's sold-out first concert at the open-air Nilton Santos stadium, located in a hotter northern neighborhood far from Rio's breezy beaches.

Brazil bakes under record early heatwave

What happened to the fan?

The Rio Health Secretariat reported that 23-year-old Ana Benevides died Friday night after suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest during Swift's concert.

It said efforts to revive the woman failed and an investigation had been launched. "At this time, the cause of death cannot be determined," the agency said.

Several other fans also fell ill during Friday's concert. Videos show Swift interrupting her performance to ask the production team for water.

"It's with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight," Swift said in a post on Instagram earlier Saturday. "I can't even tell you how devastated I am by this."

Taylor Swift fan cools off with a bottle of water amid a heat wave before The Eras Tour concert outside Nilton Santos Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Brazilian authorities ordered to guarantee access to water during Taylor Swift concertsImage: Silvia Izquierdo/AP/picture alliance

Access to water to be guaranteed

Swift was also scheduled to perform in Rio on Sunday, followed by three shows in Sao Paulo from November 24 to 26. The Brazilian T4F entertainment company said Saturday's show was postponed to Monday.

Meanwhile, National Consumer Secretary Wadih Damous posted on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that the government had ordered T4F to guarantee access to water at all of Swift's concerts in Brazil.

Following Benevides' death, Justice Minister Flavio Dino announced that the government would issue a directive allowing bottled water to be brought to concerts.

"Companies producing shows with high heat exposure must provide free drinking water in easily accessible 'hydration islands.' The measure is effective immediately," he added on X.

dh/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters)