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Arts·Group Chat

Is Taylor Swift responsible for safety at her concert?

Culture journalists Nicole Froio and Niko Stratis unpack how fans are feeling about their safety at shows, and how unprepared we are to meet the far-reaching impacts of climate change.

Nicole Froio and Niko Stratis discuss how tragedy struck during night one of her Rio stop on The Eras Tour

CBC Arts ·
Fans of US singer Taylor Swift queue outside the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium before Swift's concert, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour", amid a heat wave in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, 2023. American superstar Taylor Swift on Saturday was mourning the death of a 23-year-old fan during her first show in Brazil before a crowd of 60,000. The death occurred as much of central and southeastern Brazil has been suffering an unusually oppressive springtime heat wave.
Fans of US singer Taylor Swift queue outside the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium before Swift's concert, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour", amid a heat wave in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, 2023. American superstar Taylor Swift on Saturday was mourning the death of a 23-year-old fan during her first show in Brazil before a crowd of 60,000. The death occurred as much of central and southeastern Brazil has been suffering an unusually oppressive springtime heat wave. (TERCIO TEIXEIRA/AFP via Getty Images)

Taylor Swift's first Eras Tour show in Rio de Janeiro was met with an intense heat wave.

A 23-year-old woman named Ana Clara Benevides Machado died during the show, and local outlets further reported that an estimated 1,000 people fainted.

Culture journalists Nicole Froio and Niko Stratis join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss how Ana's death has fans grappling with accountability — from their safety at shows and access to water, to how unprepared we are to meet the impacts of climate change.

LISTEN | Today's episode on YouTube:

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Panel produced by Jane van Koeverden.

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