Taylor Swift’s The Eras tour in Rio de Janeiro took a tragic turn on Friday night as 23-year-old fan Ana Clara Benevides passed away after going into cardiac arrest, according to Consequence of Sound. Benevides had reportedly been at the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium for over eight hours, in sweltering temperatures.
“I can’t believe I am writing these words, but it’s with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” Swift shared in an Instagram story.
She noted that she would be unable to speak about this on stage as she feels “overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it.”
Event organizer T4F released the following statement, which has been translated from 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 Santos 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.
To the family and friends of Ana Clara Benevides
Our sincere condolences.”
Footage from the concert revealed Swift’s concern for the audience’s well-being, pausing multiple times to inquire about fans and their access to water. Over 1,000 individuals reportedly receive medical treatment for heat-related issues during the show.
🏟| @taylorswift13 making sure a fan needing water gets attended to in the extreme heat ❤️ #RioDeJaneiroTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/UA7pwmnecP
— Taylor Swift Updates 🩶 (@swifferupdates) November 17, 2023
Attendees were unable to bring water bottles into the stadium despite record-breaking temperatures. This has sparked public outrage and raised questions about the adequacy of safety measures for large-scale events, prompting Brazilian authorities to take action.
According to Reuters, The Brazilian federal government mandated T4F to guarantee water availability at Swift’s concerts nationwide. In response, T4F has announced an improved action plan, emphasizing free water provisions at queues and stadium access points. Attendees are now permitted to bring sealed water cups, flexible plastic bottles, and sealed processed foods to enhance safety measures at all future concerts.
Benevides’ father, Weiny Machado, is seeking answers from concert organizers, demanding clarification on whether fans were prohibited from bringing water into the venue. Speaking to Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, Weiny expressed his anguish, saying, “I want to know if it’s true that they are prohibited from bringing water and neglected to provide assistance.” Weiny continued to say, “She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead.” As the family mourns the loss of their only daughter, questions loom over the circumstances that led to this incident.
Safety issues and concerns have been on the rise at concerts after multiple died and hundreds were injured at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival, shedding a light on the challenges faced by concert organizers to keep fans protected.
Swift made the decision to postpone one night of her Eras Tour in Rio due to what she described as “extreme temperatures.” In a note shared on her Instagram Story, she conveyed, “The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to and always will come first.” The rescheduled concert is set for Monday, November 20.
Following Monday’s show, Swift has three more upcoming gigs at Allianz Parque before she takes a break from The Eras Tour. The trek will pick-up again in Tokyo in February. For tickets to The Eras Tour, fans can visit MegaSeats (use code TICKETNEWS for 10% off), Stub Hub, or Ticket Club where members can receive a free membership with the code “TICKETNEWS.”
A full list of Swift’s 2023 and 2024 dates can be found below:
Taylor Swift The Eras Tour 2023
Monday, November 20 – Rio de Janeiro, BR | Estadio Nilton Santos – RESCHEDULED
Friday, November 24 – Sao Paulo, BR | Allianz Parque
Saturday, November 25 – Sao Paulo, BR | Allianz Parque
Sunday, November 26 – Sao Paulo, BR | Allianz Parque
Taylor Swift The Eras Tour 2024
Wednesday, February 7 – Tokyo, JP | Tokyo Dome
Thursday, February 8 – Tokyo, JP | Tokyo Dome
Friday, February 9 – Tokyo, JP | Tokyo Dome
Saturday, February 10 – Tokyo, JP | Tokyo Dome
Friday, February 16 – Melbourne, AUS | Melbourne Cricket Grounds
Saturday, February 17 – Melbourne, AUS | Melbourne Cricket Grounds
Friday, February 23 – Sydney, AUS | Accor Stadium
Saturday, February 24 – Sydney, AUS | Accor Stadium
Sunday, February 25 – Sydney, AUS | Accor Stadium
Saturday, March 2 – Singapore, SG | National Stadium
Sunday, March 3 – Singapore, SG | National Stadium
Monday, March 4 – Singapore, SG | National Stadium
Thursday, March 7 – Singapore, SG | National Stadium
Thursday, May 9 – Paris, FR | La Defense Arena
Friday, May 10 – Paris, FR | La Defense Arena
Saturday, May 11 – Paris, FR | La Defense Arena
Sunday, May 12 – Paris, FR | La Defense Arena
Friday, May 17 – Stockholm, SWE | Friends Arena
Saturday, May 18 – Stockholm, SWE | Friends Arena
Sunday, May 19 – Stockholm, SWE | Friends Arena
Friday, May 24 – Lisbon. POR | Estadio Da Luz
Saturday, May 25 – Lisbon. POR | Estadio Da Luz
Thursday, May 30 – Madrid, ESP | Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
Sunday, June 2 – Lyon, FR | Groupama Stadium
Monday, June 3 – Lyon, FR | Groupama Stadium
Friday, June 7 – Edinburgh, UK | BT Murrayfield Stadium
Saturday, June 8 – Edinburgh, UK | BT Murrayfield Stadium
Sunday, June 9 – Edinburgh, UK | BT Murrayfield Stadium
Thursday, June 13 – Liverpool, UK | Anfield Stadium
Friday, June 14 – Liverpool, UK | Anfield Stadium
Saturday, June 15 – Liverpool, UK | Anfield Stadium
Tuesday, June 18 – Cardiff, UK | Principality Stadium
Friday, June 21 – London, UK | Wembley Stadium
Saturday, June 22 – London, UK | Wembley Stadium
Sunday, June 23 – London, UK | Wembley Stadium
Friday, June 28 – Dublin, IRE | Aviva Stadium
Saturday, June 29 – Dublin, IRE | Aviva Stadium
Sunday, June 30 – Dublin, IRE | Aviva Stadium
Thursday, July 4 – Amsterdam, NED | Johan Cruijff Arena
Friday, July 5 – Amsterdam, NED | Johan Cruijff Arena
Saturday, July 6 – Amsterdam, NED | Johan Cruijff Arena
Tuesday, July 9 – Zurich, SWI | Stadion Letzigrund
Wednesday, July 10 – Zurich, SWI | Stadion Letzigrund
Saturday, July 13 – Milan, IT | San Siro Stadium
Sunday, July 14 – Milan, IT | San Siro Stadium
Wednesday, July 17– Gelsenkirchen, GER | Veltins-Arena
Thursday, July 18– Gelsenkirchen, GER | Veltins-Arena
Friday, July 19– Gelsenkirchen, GER | Veltins-Arena
Tuesday, July 23 – Hamburg, GER | Volksparkstadion
Wednesday, July 24 – Hamburg, GER | Volksparkstadion
Saturday, July 27 – Munich, GER | Olympiastadion
Sunday, July 28 – Munich, GER | Olympiastadion
Thursday, August 1 – Warsaw, POL | PGE Narodowy
Friday, August 2 – Warsaw, POL | PGE Narodowy
Saturday, August 3 – Warsaw, POL | PGE Narodowy
Thursday, August 8 – Vienna, AUS | Ernst-Happel-Stadion
Friday, August 9 – Vienna, AUS | Ernst-Happel-Stadion
Saturday, August 10 – Vienna, AUS | Ernst-Happel-Stadion
Thursday, August 15 – London, UK | Wembley Stadium
Friday, August 16 – London, UK | Wembley Stadium
Saturday, August 17 – London, UK | Wembley Stadium
Monday, August 19 – London, UK | Wembley Stadium
Tuesday, August 20 – London, UK | Wembley Stadium
Friday, October 18 – Miami, FL | Hard Rock Stadium
Saturday, October 19 – Miami, FL | Hard Rock Stadium
Sunday, October 20 – Miami, FL | Hard Rock Stadium
Friday, October 25 – New Orleans, LA | Caesars Superdome
Saturday, October 26 – New Orleans, LA | Caesars Superdome
Sunday, October 27 – New Orleans, LA | Caesars Superdome
Friday, November 1 – Indianapolis, IN | Lucas Oil Stadium
Saturday, November 2 – Indianapolis, IN | Lucas Oil Stadium
Sunday, November 3 – Indianapolis, IN | Lucas Oil Stadium
Thursday, November 14 – Toronto, ON | Rogers Centre
Friday, November 15 – Toronto, ON | Rogers Centre
Saturday, November 16 – Toronto, ON | Rogers Centre
Thursday, November 21 – Toronto, ON | Rogers Centre
Friday, November 22 – Toronto, ON | Rogers Centre
Saturday, November 23 – Toronto, ON | Rogers Centre
Friday, December 6 – Vancouver, BC | BC Place
Saturday, December 7 – Vancouver, BC | BC Place
Sunday, December 8 – Vancouver, BC | BC Place
