Taylor Swift received a special welcome in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday night (17) with a projection on the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue before continuing the Latin American leg of her Eras Tour in Brazil.
A shirt with the words “Welcome to Brazil” was displayed on the statue, along with the names of the states of Brazil. The projection also featured symbols from Swift’s music, including a scarf (a nod to her hit “All Too Well”) and a bow and arrow (likely referring to “The Archer”).
The shirt’s design resembled what Swift wore in the music video for her song “You Belong With Me.”
The city’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, confirmed that a projection would be shown on the statue on Thursday – and compared the impact of the singer-songwriter’s arrival to that of artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna.
“We will properly honor Taylor Swift and her arrival in the Carioca territory tonight,” he said in a video posted on X. “Welcome, Taylor Swift.”
Swift will perform three shows at the Nilton Santos Stadium in the city starting this Friday (17), followed by three more shows in São Paulo next weekend.
The mayor’s announcement comes after an online movement by fans who pleaded for Omar Raposo, the rector of the Christ the Redeemer sanctuary, to project a shirt from one of Swift’s music videos on the statue when she arrived, according to the newspaper O Globo.
Raposo agreed, but only if the “Swifties” could raise funds to support local charities for the Vatican’s World Day of the Poor.
Christ the Redeemer often projects messages or visual resources in support of social and cultural causes. In July, the statue displayed a clock symbolizing the urgent state of the climate crisis. And in 2020, a series of flags from countries affected by the coronavirus pandemic was shown.
In Taylor’s case, the response was so impressive that it even took the fundraising website offline. According to the organizers, more than R$180,000 was raised in 24 hours. The campaign was extended until Sunday, the day of the star’s last show in Rio.
Source: NBC News and UOL