Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated The Eras Tour is about to kick off in Brazil on November 18, and the country has given her a warm welcome in a unique way. In the days leading up to her performance in Rio de Janeiro, the city honored the 33-year-old singer with an impressive art projection on the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. The projection featured a white t-shirt with the message “Welcome to Brasil Rio de Janeiro.”
The viral t-shirt projection seemed to reference a shirt Taylor wore in her “You Belong With Me” music video, originally bearing the words “Junior Jewels” along with a hand-drawn smiley face and a list of names. The projection not only echoed this design but also included the names of Brazilian states, paying homage to Taylor. Additional nods to the singer included a scarf from her “All Too Well” music video and a bow and arrow representing her song “The Archer.”
Eduardo Paes, the 54-year-old mayor of Rio de Janeiro, confirmed on Twitter (X) that the projection was dedicated to Taylor on November 16. In a clip, he expressed, “We will properly honor Taylor Swift and her arrival to carioca territory tonight,” and welcomed her to Rio de Janeiro. He even drew parallels between Taylor’s stardom and that of the late Michael Jackson and Madonna. Taylor is scheduled to perform at the Nilton Santos stadium this weekend, followed by three more shows in São Paulo through the weekend of November 24.
After images of the adorned statue circulated on social media, Swifties flooded the comments with excitement. Fans expressed their love and admiration for Taylor, with one writing, “BRASIL LOVES TAYLOR! She deserves this,” and another describing the moment as “iconic.” A third fan appreciated the representation of all 26 states on the t-shirt, tweeting, “Love how all of our 26 states (and federal district) are represented, O BRASIL TE AMA TAYLOR.”
This isn’t the first time the Christ the Redeemer statue has been used as a canvas for art projections, as the city frequently displays messages in support of local and global causes on this iconic landmark.
Taylor Swift commenced the South American leg of her tour on November 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During one of the shows, her new boyfriend, Travis Kelce, 34, joined her, along with Taylor’s father, Scott Swift, 71. The concert made headlines when Taylor leaped into the NFL star’s arms, sharing a passionate kiss with him. The couple is reportedly taking their relationship to the next level, planning to introduce their parents to each other when the Kansas City Chiefs play against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 20.