By Sammi Rozanski
Taylor Swift at Buenos Aires Night 1 (photo captured by Jazmin Silbergleit)
The Eras Tour shows in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, were disastrous. There was a suffocating heat, and not enough water, and resulting in the death of a concert attendee. The New York Times reports that the temperature on the day of the concert reached 93 degrees fahrenheit and due to the humidity and other factors, it felt like 139 degrees. However, there was no disaster reported at the other concerts held in South America–what went differently at those concerts?
The South American leg of the Eras Tour kicked off on November 9th in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and spanned through the entire month. That time of the year is usually spring in South America, but it was hotter than usual in most countries, and the weather was unpredictable. The setup of the stadiums in South America also differed from the concerts in the United States, because while the concerts in the US had organized floor seats in the middle of the stadium, the stadiums in Argentina and Brazil had standing pits. A standing pit at a concert means that there are no assigned seats, so the earlier you arrive at a concert, the closer you’ll be to the main stage. With so many people standing so close together in a crowd, many potential problems could arise. Superfans of artists wait outside of the venue for hours to get in first. Once fans are in the pit, it is hard for them to move or leave, which makes it difficult for fans to have access to water, potentially causing extreme dehydration. If the staff at a stadium is underprepared, all of these factors could potentially cause disaster. So, how could this be avoided? What did the other stadiums do to avoid the kind of tragedies that happened in Rio De Janeiro?
The standing pit in Buenos Aires, Night 1 (photo captured by Jazmin Silbergleit)
Jazmin Silbergleit, a 16-year-old student from Buenos Aires, Argentina attended the first night of the Eras tour held in her city on November 9th. Silbergleit described the experience at the Eras Tour as “the concert of a lifetime.” Silbergleit noted that she was standing near the back of the pit, along with her younger sister, Maia. “It was really hot and everyone was kind of stuck together,” she recalled.
Yet, this wasn’t an issue for the attendees due to the preparation of the venue. Silbergleit explained that there were water stations all around the perimeter of the pit with free water for all attendees. “While it was hot that day, I don’t think that the weather caused a huge problem because the water stations helped a lot.” She continued that “whenever someone needed water they could get close to one of the water stations and they would give it to you, which was great.” Silbergleit expressed that her memories from the Eras Tour would be cherished: “it was incredible, and Taylor was there, and the whole thing was just beautiful”.
Following the Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro shows, two more nights of concerts were scheduled in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Many Brazilian fans were anxiously waiting for these shows, including Alice Xavier, a first-year student at Barnard College, who attended the second night of concerts with her mother and two sisters on November 25th, 2023. She explained that she was “extremely excited.”
She had already seen the Eras Tour movie, so she knew what she was looking forward to– “big spectacle.” She was excited for how long the show was. She described the weather that day as “really nice for a concert,” noting that it was around 18°C (~64°F), calling it “not too hot or too cold.” Even though it rained a small amount before the concert, the overall climate was enjoyable. Xavier specifically noted that she “liked how organized my concert venue was,” describing it as “very lucky.” Xavier raved about the concert overall, even saying “It was one of my favorite concerts I’ve ever gone to, if not my favorite, which is a huge deal because I go to many.” Overall, Xavier described having a great experience at the concert, saying that she “had the most fun, and even got emotional during parts.”
Even though the Rio de Janeiro concert was hotter than both of the other South American locations for the tour, the biggest difference between that stadium and the other stadiums was the amount of preparation done. All of the fans who went to any of the concerts were just there to celebrate and see Taylor, even through intense heat and rain. However, one of the biggest differences between the Buenos Aires shows and the Rio de Janeiro shows, which both faced strong heat, was that the Buenos Aires shows had more access to water for people in the pit. In a situation like this, preparation from the stadium is crucial to keeping the fans safe and healthy.
By Sammi Rozanski