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Why Was Taylor Swift’s Brazil Concert Postponed? Extreme Weather Conditions, Fan’s Death and More
Taylor Swift was meant to perform her second of three shows in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on November 18, but announced that the concert had been postponed just hours before she was set to hit the stage. So, what happened and why did she have to make the schedule change?
Why Was Taylor Swift’s Brazil Concert Postponed?
Scorching temperatures in Brazil led Taylor and her team to postpone the November 18 concert. “I’m writing this from my dressing room in the stadium,” Taylor wrote on her Instagram Story. “The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio. The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers and crew has to and always will come first.”
The singer had performed in Rio on November 17 amid the extreme heat and reported poor ventilation at Estádio Nilton Santos. A fan video began circulating on X (formerly Twitter) of Taylor seemingly struggling to catch her breath as she neared the end of her show. With red cheeks, she took deep breaths and looked toward the sky for several moments before moving on to the next song.
Earlier in the show, the pop star paused her performance when she noticed a fan in need of water in the crowd. She asked security to supply the audience member with water and did not continue her set until it was acknowledged that assistance was being provided to the correct person.
In the midst of singing “All Too Well,” Taylor also fetched a water bottle for another struggling fan. She continued singing as she retrieved the water and threw it into the crowd.
What Happened at Taylor Swift’s Brazil Concert?
Sadly, the conditions were so bad at the November 17 show that one of Taylor’s fans tragically died. Ana Clara Benevides Machado was just 23 years old. She was rushed to the hospital in cardiorespiratory arrest and did not survive resuscitation attempts. Her official cause of death has not been confirmed.
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” Taylor wrote on Instagram. “I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this. There’s very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”
She continued, “I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it. I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
Fans who were at the show slammed the venue and event organizers for how things were handled at the stadium. Fans shared that they were not able to bring their own water into the event and claimed that it was difficult to even buy water, which was reportedly priced very high, amid the hectic crowds. Videos from inside the venue showed members of Taylor’s own team passing out water to concertgoers throughout the evening.
Due to the general admission seating at the show, fans waited outside for hours in the extreme heat before evening getting into the venue.
Will Taylor Swift Perform in Brazil?
Taylor is still expected to take the stage in Brazil on November 19. Her November 18 show has also been rescheduled to November 20. She then has three shows at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil on November 24, 25, and 26.
It was announced that fans will be able to bring their own water into the venue for the next two Rio shows. Free and easily accessible drinking water is also expected to be provided at the concert.
