'There's people that need water.' Taylor Swift pauses Eras show in Rio to help fans
Taylor Swift paused her first show in Rio de Janeiro to make sure fans got water and threw a water bottle into the crowd two Eras later, as temperatures rose to almost 100 degrees Friday and an excessive heat warning was issued.
"There's people that need water right here, maybe 30, 35, 40 feet back," she said during the Evermore set, pointing to a floor section of the crowd. "So whoever is in charge of giving them that, just make sure that happens. Can I get a signal that you know where they are?"
"Do you see the phones?" she is heard talking to her team off-stage as the crowd chants: "Water, water, water, water."
It's late spring in Rio, and with the humidity, it is expected to feel like 109 degrees on Saturday.
In the "Red" era, before the 10-minute version of "All Too Well," Taylor grabbed a water bottle from one side of the diamond stage and walked to the other to chuck the bottle to fans without missing a beat: "And you held my lifeless frame and I know it's long gone and there was nothing else I could do." (You can see Swift's "Hail Mary" in a video below.)
While sitting at the ivy-covered piano bench before playing "Champagne Problems," Swift thanked Brazilians for helping to project a "Junior Jewels" inspired T-shirt onto the Christ the Redeemer statue.
"You went so far above and beyond in welcoming us to Brazil," she said. "I just want to start off by saying I feel completely unworthy by this honor but it's sort of the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."
The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro is donning a "Welcome to Brazil" shirt inspired by Swift's "Junior Jewels" shirt after a fan campaign raised water and food donations for the community.
More:T-shirt inspired by Taylor Swift projected onto Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue
Swift had started the show by welcoming the sold-out crowd in Portuguese, saying, "Rio, bem vindo a Eras Tour!" She greeted the crowds in Spanish in Mexico City, Mexico and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The Eras Tour performer has two more shows in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday and Sunday and then will head to São Paulo, Brazil next weekend for the final stop of the 2023 tour leg.
Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.