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Taylor Swift postponed Eras in Brazil after a 23-year-old fan died at the singer's concert

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  • American superstar Taylor Swift postponed a show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 
  • This was after a fan died at the singer's concert due to extreme heat. 
  • Saturday's postponement came after the heat index in the city had risen to as high as 59 degrees Celsius. 


American superstar Taylor Swift on Saturday postponed a show in Rio de Janeiro due to extreme heat after a fan died at the singer's concert the previous night. 

The concert has been moved to Monday.

Saturday's postponement came after the heat index in the city had risen to as high as 59 degrees Celsius when the 23-year-old, in a crowd of 60 000, died during the first Eras Tour show in Brazil.

"I'm writing this from my dressing room in the stadium," Swift posted on Instagram on Saturday.

"The decision has been made to postpone tonight's show due to extreme temperatures in Rio."

She added:

The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers and crew has to and always will come first.

Swift could be seen in videos posted to social media from Friday trying to help fans by dispatching aides to pass out water bottles and even throwing one to the audience herself.

"It's with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight," Swift said in a post on Instagram to her millions of followers earlier on Saturday.

"I can't even tell you how devastated I am by this."

The Rio Health Secretariat reported that Ana Benevides died on Friday evening after suffering cardiorespiratory arrest in the Nilton Santos stadium during Swift's concert.

It said efforts to revive the young woman failed and an investigation had been launched.

"At this time, the cause of death cannot be determined," the agency said.

READ | A microcosm of Taylormania: The Eras Tour film brings live music magic to the big screen

Much of central and southeastern Brazil has been suffering an unusually oppressive springtime heat wave.

Fans lashed out at the venue's handling of the heat, saying officials had prevented them from bringing in water.

"The lack of organisation yesterday was absurd. What happened to the young woman was a crime due to bad organisation. You just don't deny anybody water," said Yasmin Monteiro, 24, who tried to enter the stadium on Saturday with five litres of water before the announcement that the night's concert was postponed.

Caio Wesley, a 25-year-old who tried to carry in four litres of water, described organisers' attitude in prohibiting the entry of liquids as "selfish".

"I brought all this water to see how long I can last," he told AFP.

Brazil's Justice Ministry on Saturday published a resolution requiring event organisers to guarantee that fans have access to drinking water.

READ MORE | Taylor's year: The major milestones Swift has achieved in 2023 so far

"It is unacceptable that people suffer, faint and even die due to lack of access to water," Justice Minister Flávio Dino said.

In her earlier Saturday post, Swift said she would not discuss the woman's death as she was "overwhelmed by grief".

"I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends," she added.


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