Taylor Swift Says She's "Devastated" After Fan Dies at Her Brazil Concert
Taylor Swift is mourning the death of a fan who died at her Eras tour concert in Rio de Janeiro.
On Nov. 17, Ana Clara Benevides Machado was rushed to a hospital for treatment after falling ill at Nilton Saltos Stadium, where other fans fainted amid sweltering temperatures and many alleged they were not allowed to bring their own water into the venue. Brazilian news portal G1 quoted the Rio Municipal Health Department as saying that Ana arrived at the Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital in cardiorespiratory arrest and that "resuscitation maneuvers were carried out, but, unfortunately, she did not survive. She was 23.
"I can't even tell you how devastated I am by this," Taylor wrote on her Instagram Stories Nov. 17. "There's very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young. I'm not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it."
The "Blank Space" singer continued, "I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil."
In statement posted Nov. 18 on their own Instagram, concert organizer Time for Fun wrote in Portuguese, "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23 years old. Last night, Ana Clara felt unwell and was promptly attended to by the team of firefighters and paramedics, being taken to the medical center at the Nilton Saltos Stadium for first aid protocol. Given the situation, the medical team chose to transfer her to Salgado Filho Hospital, where, after almost an hour of emergency care, she unfortunately died."
The Legal Medical Institute (IML) has yet to certify the cause of Ana's death, which is still unknown, G1 reported.
Multiple reports stated that Ana shared videos on social media before entering the stadium, talking about the extreme heat. She attended the show with college pal Daniele Menin, who told G1 that her friend fell ill while Taylor performed "Cruel Summer," the second song on her setlist, and that first responders attempted to revive her inside the stadium for "about 40 minutes."
She said she accompanied her as she was transported to the hospital. "I received the news of the death in the hospital," she told G1. "I was the first person."
During Taylor's concert at the open-air soccer stadium, the first of her three sold-out shows in Rio, several more of the some 60,000 attendees felt ill amid the high temperatures. G1 reported that it reached over 102 degrees Fahrenheit in the city that day.
As the singer performed, many fans chanted "water," prompting the pop star to pause and ask her staff to bring them some.
"There's people who need water, right here, maybe 30, 35, 40 feet back" she said, as seen in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. "So whoever is in charge of giving them that, just make sure that happens. Can I get a signal that you know where they are?"
Another clip shows Taylor, mid-way through her song "All Too Well," accepting a water bottle from an audience member and then turning to another edge of the stage and tossing it to another person in the crowd.
The next day, Nov. 18, Time for Fun announced plans to distribute free water at Taylor's second show in the city, amid forecasts of even higher temperatures.
"New free water distribution points will be available to the public during the event," the group said on Instagram in Portuguese. "Entry into the stadium with sealed containers of water and sealed food will also be permitted, with no limitation on items per person."
The organization also said that about 200 extra employees will join the 1,230 professionals who have been working on the event, including security guards and firefighters, and that multiple medical stations and mobile ICUs would be put in place.
Brazil's Minister of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), Flávio Dino, announced in a statement "the immediate adoption of measures in response to reports of sealing or lack of water availability for consumers at shows, amid the intense heat wave that is ravaging Brazil."
As fans lined up for the show that evening, firefighters sprayed them with water, as seen in another Twitter video.
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