Taylor Swift was welcomed to Brazil on Thursday by a projection that made the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro appear as if it were wearing a T-shirt similar to the one she wore in her “You Belong to Me” music video which was decorated with the names of Brazilian states and symbols from her songs. However, tragedy and trouble followed this warm welcome. A fan died from the heat at Friday night’s show, and at the 11th hour, Swift postponed her Saturday show until Monday, frustrating thousands of fans who had already started filling the stadium. The military police reported the stabbing death of a fan who was in Rio de Janeiro for the regularly scheduled concert on Sunday.
The fatalities and other problems were a departure from the triumphant first leg of Swift’s Eras Tour, a career-spanning production that broke records in North America. As the tour’s second show in Rio de Janeiro approached on Sunday night, fans grappled with ruined travel plans, extreme heat and disappointment. Many expressed their frustrations after the shows were postponed and described their personal challenges in attempting to attend the concert.
Swift said in an Instagram post hours before the postponed concert that the extreme temperatures were the reason for the delay. The shows in Rio were the first stop of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour outside of North America, with plans to perform in São Paulo on Nov. 24, Nov. 25 and Nov. 26. Despite the ongoing fan complaints and mishaps at the concerts, Wadih Damous, the head of Brazil’s consumer protection agency said the government would investigate Time for Fun, the Brazilian company responsible for organizing the show. The company said on Saturday that it would make improvements to the show’s organization, security, and facilities.
Reports of unrest and a fan’s death were immediate aftermaths following Saturday’s show postponement. Despite this, Swift returned for the concert on Sunday, which was less affected by heat and fan unease. Annotations made the security and organization of the shows into question and cast a shadow over the concert proceedings.
