Taylor SwiftA new “Taylor Swift Law” has been introduced in Brazil, three years after a fan died after facing extreme heat during an Eras Tour show.
In November 2023, Ana Clara Benevides, a 23-year-old psychology student, fainted in the front row of Swift’s show and was reportedly given 40 minutes of CPR on-site before she was taken to the hospital, where she passed away.
Fans and government officials speculated that extreme heat contributed to Benevides’ death. The “apparent temperature” – a combination of temperature and humidity – in Rio that morning reached 59 degrees Celsius, the highest index ever recorded.
While it was 39 degrees outside when the concert took place, it felt even hotter in the stadium. Reports from inside the venue said punters weren’t offered free water, and Swift herself handed out water bottles in the extreme weather.
Following Benevides’ passing, Swift postponed her second Eras concert in Brazil due to the extreme heat.
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words, but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show. I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this,” Swift wrote on social media at the time.
She added, “I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
Nearly three years later, NME reports that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil, signed two decrees named the “Taylor Swift Law,” addressing water at concerts and ticket scalping.
As part of the first decree, entertainment venues hosting more than 1,000 punters must fulfil a legal requirement to provide free drinking water, as well as allow attendees to bring their own water bottles or containers.
Meanwhile, the second decree focuses on scalping and high ticket prices. It’s been made official that ticketing platforms must outline any additional costs or hidden fees in the ticket-buying process, and ticket transfers must be available at no extra cost.
Following Benevides’ passing, Taylor Swift fans started a petition to mandate a law providing free water access at concert venues in Brazil.
The petition received over 200,000 signatures in less than a day. At the time, it was reported that venues in Brazil would be required to provide free drinking water when shows have “high heat exposure”, Flávio Dino, Brazil’s Minister of Justice, tweeted.
