Taylor Swift postpones show after fan’s death in Rio de Janeiro’s sweltering heat

Ana Clara Benevides, 23, fell ill at an earlier performance held in a record 59.3 degrees Celsius (138.7 degrees Fahrenheit) heat, and died later in hospital

Swift pushed back her Saturday show, citing extreme temperatures and saying the safety of fans, fellow performers and crew came first

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Women protect themselves from the sun with a blanket as they stand in a queue outside the Nilton Santos stadium where the Taylor Swift concert takes place. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:46pm, 18 Nov 2023Updated: 6:35am, 19 Nov 2023

US singer Taylor Swift postponed her show on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro due to scorching heat, the day after the death of a fan who fell ill in the sweltering concert venue.

“The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio,” Swift wrote on Instagram about two hours before she was to go on stage.

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

Ana Clara Benevides, 23, became unwell at Nilton Santos stadium during Friday’s show, event organiser T4F wrote on Instagram. She died later in hospital. Her cause of death was not yet known and will be investigated, Rio’s state health service said.

Women protect themselves from the sun as they stand in a queue outside the stadium for the Taylor Swift concert. Photo: Reuters

Rio on Friday hit a record high of the heat index, which combines temperature and humidity, at 59.3 degrees Celsius (138.7 degrees Fahrenheit). On Saturday, the heat index peaked at 59.7 degrees Celsius (139.5 degrees Fahrenheit).

Some 60,000 fans had gathered on Friday for Swift’s sell-out first concert at the open-air stadium, which is far from Rio’s breezy beaches in a hotter northern neighbourhood.