Taylor Swift postpones Rio show due to ‘extreme temperatures’
Taylor Swift has postponed a concert in Rio de Janeiro due to “extreme temperatures”.
The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity, reached 59.7°C (139.5°F) in the Brazilian city on Saturday.
Additionally, a fan died before Swift’s show on Friday, leaving her “devastated”.
Ana Clara Benevides, 23, fell ill and died in hospital. The cause of her death has not been announced, but Brazilian daily Fohla de S Paulo reported that she collapsed during the show and suffered a cardiac arrest.
Several fans fell ill Friday, prompting Swift to interrupt her performance and ask the production team to give them water, videos showed.
The concerts take place at Nilton Santos Stadium, far from Rio’s windy beaches, in a warmer northern neighborhood.
Swift posted the decision to postpone Saturday’s show on Instagram about two hours before it began.
“The safety and well-being of my fans, my fellow artists and my team must and always will be the priority,” she said.
As news of the postponement spread, many young girls outside the stadium broke down in tears.
Taylor Swift is set to perform again in Rio on Sunday
Swift is also scheduled to perform in Rio on Sunday, before three shows in Sao Paulo next weekend.
Heat exhaustion, which can include dizziness, headache, tremors and thirst, is usually not serious, as long as the person cools down within 30 minutes.
However, heat stroke – when the core body temperature exceeds 40.6°C – is a medical emergency.
After Ms. Benevides’ death, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said the Brazilian 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,'” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The measure comes into effect immediately.”
