A Taylor Swift fan dies before a concert in Brazil due to extreme heat
Swift moved her Saturday concert in Rio de Janeiro to Monday in the wake of a fan’s death during an extreme heatwave ahead of Friday’s performance as the heat index rose to record highs near 140 degrees.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – A Taylor Swift fan reportedly died before an opening concert on Friday in Brazil, where attendees were exposed to extreme heat, forcing the postponement of Saturday’s concert in Rio de Janeiro.
The country’s National Institute of Meteorology warned of high humidity and temperatures, which led to feeling-like readings reaching the 100 level.
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A fan of American singer Taylor Swift cools off with a hose as others line up outside the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium before Swift’s “Taylor Swift: Tour for the Ages” concert amid a heatwave in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, 2023. American star Taylor Swift was on Saturday mourning the death of… A 23-year-old fan during her first show in Brazil in front of a crowd of 60,000 people. The death occurred as large areas of central and southeastern Brazil suffer from an unusually oppressive spring heatwave. (Photo by Tercio Teixeira/AFP) (Photo by Tercio Teixeira/AFP via Getty Images)
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Fans of American singer Taylor Swift line up outside the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium ahead of Swift’s “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert amid a heatwave in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, 2023. American singer Taylor Swift was on Saturday mourning the death of a 20-year-old fan. 23 years old during her first show in Brazil in front of a crowd of 60,000 people. The death occurred as large areas of central and southeastern Brazil suffer from an unusually oppressive spring heatwave. (Photo by Tercio Teixeira/AFP) (Photo by Tercio Teixeira/AFP via Getty Images)
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A firefighter calms fans of American singer Taylor Swift with a hose as they line up outside the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium before Swift’s “Taylor Swift: Tour for the Ages” concert amid a heat wave in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, 2023. American star Taylor Swift was, on Saturday, in mourning. On the death of a 23-year-old fan during her first concert in Brazil in front of a crowd of 60,000 people. The death occurred as large areas of central and southeastern Brazil suffer from an unusually oppressive spring heatwave. (Photo by Tercio Teixeira/AFP) (Photo by Tercio Teixeira/AFP via Getty Images)
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Fans of American singer Taylor Swift enjoy the coolness as they line up outside the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium before Swift’s “Taylor Swift: Tour for the Ages” concert amid a heatwave in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, 2023. American singer Taylor Swift on Saturday was mourning the death of a 20-year-old fan. The 23-year-old performs during her first show in Brazil in front of a crowd of 60,000 people. The death occurred as large areas of central and southeastern Brazil suffer from an unusually oppressive spring heatwave. (Photo by Tercio Teixeira/AFP) (Photo by Tercio Teixeira/AFP via Getty Images)
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“I can’t believe I’m writing these words, but it is with a broken heart to say that we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” Swift wrote on Instagram following her concert. “I can’t even tell you how saddened I am by this. There is very little information I have other than the fact that she was so beautiful and so young.”
The heat index, which combines the effects of heat and humidity, reached staggering levels near 140 degrees in Rio on Friday and Saturday, according to Reuters, and the National Institute of Meteorology reported that similar conditions occurred during most days of the week.
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“I’m not going to be able to talk about this from the stage because I get sad when I try to talk about it,” Swift added. “I want to say right now that I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
Continuing heat and death on Friday led to Swift postponing her show on Saturday.
“The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio,” Swift wrote on Instagram about two hours before the show on Saturday. “The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow artists and crew must and always will come first.”
Saturday’s show has been rescheduled for Monday. Swift’s tour in Sao Paulo continues from Friday to Sunday.
A concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was postponed due to weather earlier this month, as severe storms made outdoor activities unsafe.
The storms produced so much gusty winds and lightning, prompting authorities to issue weather alerts to warn of potential dangers.
Taylor Swift reschedules her concert in Buenos Aires amid “very chaotic” weather
The cause of the fan’s death was not revealed. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro announced changes for events at Nilton Santos Stadium to prevent further heat-related illness.
Among the changes is allowing water bottles into the venue during future shows, which is normally prohibited. Increased numbers of health workers and ambulances, more water distribution points and increased efforts to keep fans out of the sun for as long as possible are also planned for future shows.
