Taylor Swift announced the postponement of her Rio concert due to extreme temperatures and safety concerns. This decision followed the tragic death of a 23-year-old fan, Ana Clara Benevides Machado, who died before the singer's concert at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Swift expressed her concern for the safety and well-being of her fans, fellow performers, and crew. High temperatures, reaching 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), had raised concerns about the concert conditions.
“I’m writing this from my dressing room in the stadium. The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio,” Swift said, in a post shared via Instagram stories. “The safety and wellbeing of my fans, fellow performers and crew has to, and always will, come first.”
Swift shared the news on her Instagram stories, emphasizing the priority of the safety and well-being of her fans and crew. High temperatures in Rio had raised concerns about the conditions at the concert venue, where fans were unable to bring their own water and struggled to access water on-site. Video footage showed Swift stopping the show to distribute water to fans and even throwing a bottle into the crowd.
Government officials criticized the reported conditions at the concert, and Rio de Janeiro's Mayor called for measures to improve fan safety, including quicker entry, more water distribution points, and increased medical personnel.
Brazil's National Consumer Secretary outlined guidelines for future events, including easily accessible water distribution points and allowing personal water bottles.