Taylor Swift fans gather for cooler Rio show after fan’s death

RIO DE JANEIRO - Taylor Swift fans headed to her eagerly expected show in Rio de Janeiro on Nov 19, the first concert since a fan died in sweltering conditions that led to a last-minute postponement of a performance the day before.

Temperatures were significantly lower on Nov 19 following two days of record-breaking heat in Brazil’s second-largest city.

Fans outside the Nilton Santos stadium were apprehensive after the previous night’s postponement but expected the show to go ahead.

"There was the cancellation yesterday, I was a bit apprehensive about today, but I hope everything goes well. Today is not hot, it's cool. The expectation is high for everything to go well," said Ms Iasmin Moreira Oliveira, in front of vendors hawking umbrellas and raincoats to protect from the expected rains.

On the first night of Swift’s The Eras Tour in Rio on Nov 17, 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides fell ill and later died in the hospital.

The tragedy led the federal government to order event organiser T4F to ensure water access at all of Swift's concerts in Brazil and issue a directive allowing water bottles to be brought into all concerts from now on.

T4F said on Nov 18 it would enhance its action plan for the event, particularly focusing on providing free water at queues and all stadium entrances and exits, allowing entry with sealed water cups, flexible plastic bottles, and sealed processed foods.

Nov 18’s postponement, which Swift announced just two hours before she was on stage, angered many fans who had already made the journey, some from different states and countries, to the stadium.

"There were people crying, people throwing tantrums, hoping it was all a lie, in short, it was terrible," said student Mr Victor Guimaraes, who was waiting in line again on Nov 19 to watch the singer's performance.

In the face of scorching temperatures, Brazilian fan club Update Swift Brasil reached out to major water companies seeking donations to alleviate the conditions on site.

Fans were met with a positive response from Minalba Brasil, which distributed water bottles for free in the stadium area on Nov 19.

“It was a donation from the company, moved by the events of the previous day and the heat wave,” said Ms Christina Larroude, marketing director of Minalba, adding that the initiative will be repeated at Nov 20’s show, with a total delivery of 65,000 water bottles.

Swift’s performance on Nov 20 in Rio will replace Nov 18’s postponed show, and the singer is still scheduled to perform in Sao Paulo from Nov 24 to 26.

Intense heat waves, attributed to the El Nino phenomenon and global temperature rises, have gripped multiple Brazilian states, with temperatures surpassing historical averages since July, according to the National Institute of Meteorology. REUTERS