Photo by Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
A Taylor Swift fan died at a show in Rio de Janeiro on Friday (November 17) leading to the postponement of the following night's Eras Tour date in the Brazilian city for safety reasons. The fan, 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides, fainted during the performance at the Nilton Santos stadium and later died of cardiac arrest, officials said.
A heatwave struck Rio de Janeiro in the lead-up to Swift's performance, with temperatures of 139° Fahrenheit recorded on the day of the show. Fans in attendance complained about a lack of water and said organizers Time for Fun had restricted fans from bringing their own bottles in with them.
Separately, Rio's military police confirmed that a fan in the city for the concert was stabbed to death in an attempted robbery. Two men have been arrested in connection with the death.
On social media on Saturday, Swift said she was "devastated” by her Benevides' death. “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,” she wrote.
Wadih Damous, the head of Brazil’s consumer protection agency, told the New York Times that the government would investigate Time for Fun. The company changed its rules to allow fans to allow fans to enter the stadium with water and food for Swift's scheduled Sunday night show and the November 18 show, which has been rescheduled for Monday. Additional staff will be added and water will be dispensed to audience members.
Swift dedicated her performance of "Bigger Than The Whole Sky" to Benevides when she returned to the Nilton Santos stadium on Sunday night. She is scheduled to perform in São Paulo on November 24-26.
