Taylor Swift postpones Rio concert due to extreme heat after fan dies

US singer Taylor Swift postponed her show in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro due to scorching heat, a day after the death of a fan who fell sick and died in the scorching concert venue. Taylor Swift announced the decision to postpone the Rio de Janeiro concert in an Instagram post.

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

Event organizer T4F (SHOW3.SA) posted on Instagram that Ana Clara Benevides, 23, became ill during Friday's show at Nilton Santos stadium. Later, she died in the hospital. According to Rio's state health service, the cause of death is unknown and will be investigated.

On Friday, Rio's heat index, which measures temperature and humidity, reached a record high of 59.3 degrees Celsius (138.7 degrees Fahrenheit). It reached 59.7 degrees Celsius (139.5) on Saturday.

Taylor Swift's first sell-out concert in the open-air stadium in a hotter northern neighborhood far from Rio's breezy beaches drew more than 60,000 fans on Friday.

Also on Sunday, Taylor Swift was scheduled to perform in Rio de Janeiro before three shows in So Paulo from November 24 to 26. A show scheduled for Saturday has been rescheduled for Monday, according to T4F.

As the singer's fans waited to enter the stadium on Saturday, they suffered in the heat. The postponement of the show caused many young girls to break down in tears.

There were several fans who fell ill during Taylor Swift's concert on Friday, prompting the singer to stop her performance and request water from the production team. Taylor Swift wrote on Instagram that she had a "shattered heart" and was "devastated" by the death of Benevides, who was "incredibly beautiful and far too young."

The government has ordered T4F to guarantee water access to Taylor Swift's concerts in Brazil, according to National Consumer Secretary Wadih Damous.

Besides not selling food and drink within the stadium, T4F said that public bodies prohibited entry with water bottles. Following Benevides' death, Justice Minister Flavio Dino announced that the government would issue a directive allowing water bottles inside concerts.

"Companies producing shows with high heat exposure must provide free drinking water in easily accessible 'hydration islands.' The measure is effective immediately," he added on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The symptoms of heat exhaustion, which can include dizziness, headaches, shaking, and thirst, are usually not serious if the person cools off within 30 minutes of getting warm.

When the body's core temperature rises above 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 degrees Celsius), the condition is called heat stroke. In addition to causing long-term organ damage and death, it is a medical emergency.

(With Inputs from Agency)