Organisers of Taylor Swift's Rio shows say they could have taken 'alternative actions'

Reuters
·2 min read
22
A couple protect themselves with an umbrella for high temperatures, wait before the Taylor Swift concert in Rio de Janeiro
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SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Organisers of the Brazilian leg of Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" acknowledged on Thursday they could have taken more measures to help fans cope with the extreme heat they faced last week in Rio de Janeiro.

T4F's statement follows a last-minute postponement of Swift's performance last Saturday in Rio due to record breaking heat after a fan died in the sweltering conditions a day earlier.

"We recognise we could have taken some alternative actions in addition to all the others we have done," T4F Chief Executive Serafim Abreu said in a video posted on social media.

On the first night of Swift's tour in Rio last Friday, 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides fell ill and later died in hospital. The extreme conditions led the U.S. pop star to postpone her concert the following day just two hours before she was to go on stage.

The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity, hit 59.3 degrees Celsius (138.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in Rio on Friday, before peaking at a record 59.7 degrees Celsius (139.5) on Saturday.

The extreme conditions led the federal government to order T4F to ensure water access at all of Swift's concerts in Brazil and issue a directive allowing water bottles to be brought into all concerts from now on.

Abreu said the event organisers could have worked to create shaded areas outside the Nilton Santos stadium, as well as to change the time scheduled for the start of the shows and emphasize that entry with water cups was allowed.

"I want to apologise to everyone who didn't have the best experience possible and for the delay in making this public statement," the executive said. "We are absolutely devastated, very saddened by the loss of Ana Clara."

"To Ana Clara's family, I want to express our most sincere condolences and publicly express our willingness to provide assistance in whatever is necessary."

Swift is set to conclude the Brazilian leg of her tour with three sold out concerts in Sao Paulo from Nov. 24 to 26, which are also organised by T4F. Weather forecasters say those days are set to be cloudy, rainy and have milder temperatures.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Sharon Singleton)