- Many fans fell sick at the show, where temperatures broke records and concertgoers complained of a lack of water
- Saturday’s show could be even hotter
- The tragedy paired two of the year’s major story lines: rising temperatures and the hysteria for Ms. Swift’s global tour
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One fan died and many others fainted at Taylor Swift’s concert Friday in Rio de Janeiro, where temperatures felt like nearly 140 degrees, a record for the city, and fans said they struggled to get water.
Ana Clara Benevides, 23, lost consciousness at the concert and later was pronounced dead of cardiac arrest after being taken to the hospital, according to city officials and the Brazilian company organizing the show, Time For Fun.
There were widespread complaints about the extreme heat and lack of water from fans inside the open-air soccer stadium, where Ms. Swift was performing for more than 60,000 people in the first of three sold-out shows in Rio this weekend as part of the South American stretch of her record- breaking Eras Tour.
Ms. Swift’s fans said on social media that they were prohibited from bringing water into the stadium, while other fans said vendors struggled to reach the people near the stage.
Videos showed Ms. Swift throwing a water bottle to one fan and instructing stadium staff to get water to other fans as people in the crowd chanted for water.
The tragedy paired two of the year’s major story lines: rising temperatures and the hysteria for Ms. Swift’s global tour.
In Argentina, where Ms. Swift played last week, some fans camped out for more than five months to try to get a spot closer to the stage.
In Brazil, a day after Ms. Benevides’s death, fans were lining up for Ms. Swift’s next scheduled concert on Saturday, when forecasts showed it could be even hotter.
