Brazil introduces 'Taylor Swift law' after fan dies at concert

Brazil has introduced a new "Taylor Swift law", three years after a fan of the American singer died from the effects of extreme heat at one of her concerts on her "Eras Tour".

Ana Clara Benevides, who was 23 years old, fainted during a concert in November 2023, when the temperature in the area reached around 38 degrees. She died a few hours later at a local hospital, and the cause of death was later confirmed to be heat exhaustion, which led to cardiac arrest.

Swift then took to social media to say that she was "broken" by the news, and then canceled her next concert in that city due to extremely high temperatures.

At the time, it was widely reported that fans were not allowed to bring water into the Nilton Santos Stadium, after which fans came together and launched an initiative to change the rules at the stadium.

Now, almost three years later, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has signed two decrees that have been dubbed the "Taylor Swift Law."

The first regulation now stipulates that facilities and events with more than a thousand visitors must provide free drinking water, as well as allow visitors to bring their own water bottles and containers to concerts.

The second regulation concerns ticket resellers and high ticket prices. Under the new rules, ticketing platforms must clearly display all additional costs in advance during the purchase process, to avoid hidden fees that appear just before payment. Also, the transfer of tickets to another person must be possible at no additional cost.

Local newspaper O Globo reported that the law came into effect during a signing ceremony in Brasilia, attended by fans of Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, BTS and other artists, who have been pushing for the legal changes for the past three years.