A day after a fan died during a concert, Taylor Swift canceled her Rio de Janeiro show

A day after a fan died during a concert, Taylor Swift canceled her Rio de Janeiro show
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Following the death of a 23-year-old fan during her Friday night performance, Taylor Swift announced on her Instagram that she was postponing her Eras Tour concert in Rio de Janeiro for this Saturday.

“I’m writing from the stadium’s dressing room. The singer announced on Instagram in a handwritten note that “the decision has been done to postpone tonight’s show due to the high temperatures in Rio.” “My first priority has always been and will continue to be the safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew.”

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Ana Clara Benevides Machado, the young lady who went to the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium during Friday’s performance, passed away, but her cause of death is still unknown. The public prosecutor’s office in Rio declared that Benevides’ body was being examined and launched a criminal investigation.

The death of Benevides shocked a lot of Brazilians. To see her favorite musician, she had taken her first-ever flight from the country’s center-west region to Rio. In order to keep her family informed, she also started a WhatsApp group, sharing pictures and videos with them along the way, relatives told online news outlet G1.

Her death shocked and outraged politicians and fans, who conjectured that it was related to intense heat.

Despite the oppressive heat, concertgoers complained they were not permitted to bring water into the stadium. Federal authorities declared that free water would now be provided at concerts and other major events on Saturday, as the temperature rose further and there were still two shows left.

While waiting to enter the stadium, Benevides’ friend who attended the concert also reported to local outlets that they were both given water.

Swift previously declared that she had a “shattered heart,” posting the statement on social media early on Saturday morning.

The singer wrote of the young woman, “I don’t know much about her other than that she was very young and extremely beautiful.”

Time4Fun, the show’s organizer, posted on Instagram that Benevides reported feeling ill, and paramedics responded. According to the Brazilian live entertainment company’s statement, she was taken to a first-aid center and later to a hospital, where she passed away an hour later.

Despite Rio and much of Brazil experiencing record-breaking temperatures this week due to a dangerous and protracted heat wave, fans who attended the Friday show claimed they were not permitted to bring water bottles into the stadium. Though it felt much hotter, Rio’s daytime high on Friday was 39.1 degrees Celsius (102.4 degrees Fahrenheit).

The apparent temperature, which is a measure of both temperature and humidity, reached its highest index ever on Friday morning in Rio, reaching 59 C (138 F).

The stadium’s interior was described by Elizabeth Morin, 26, who recently relocated to Rio from Los Angeles, as “sauna-like.”

It was really warm. As soon as I walked in, my hair was drenched from sweat,” she remarked. “I had to check my breathing at one point to make sure I wasn’t going to pass out.”

Although Morin drank a lot of water, she observed that “a good amount of people looked distressed” and that some were “yelling for water.” She claimed that although she could get water from the sidelines of the section of the stadium where she was standing, it was much more difficult to get water from other areas, “especially if you were worried about losing your specific position.”

According to Morin, Swift got attention from a group of people during the performance and stopped her performance to ask for water to be brought to them from the stage.

She recalled, “They were saying, ‘We need water,’ holding up their phones.”

According to two additional concertgoers who spoke with The Associated Press, they saw patrons during the performance who were ill due to the heat.

Benevides sent a video to her family while traveling to Rio, which Globo News broadcast on TV. In the video, she said, “Mom, look at the plane, it’s moving.” I’m on the plane, Mom. Heavenly God of mine! I’m joyful!

Then, prior to the performance, she shared a video of herself on Instagram, decked out in a Taylor Swift T-shirt and friendship bracelets, standing in line to enter the stadium and looking for cover under an umbrella.

Thousands of admirers waited in the sun for hours before being permitted inside, just like her.

Fanning her face, she informed her fans that she had arrived at 11 a.m., even though the show didn’t start until around 7:30 p.m., and that she was “still in the mess.”

Daniele Menin, Benevides’ friend who went to the concert with her, reported to the internet news site G1 that Benevides’ friend passed out during Swift’s performance of her second song, “Cruel Summer,” at the start of the show.

“We had always said that we would make arrangements to see Taylor Swift when she visited Brazil. Even though the ticket was very pricey, Menin told G1 that they managed to find a way.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Justice Minister Flávio Dino declared that, going forward, “water bottles for personal use, in suitable material, will be allowed” at concerts and festivals in Brazil. Additionally, he stated that show producers must supply free and easily accessible drinking water.

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, stated on X that the “loss of a young woman’s life…is unacceptable” and that future events should include more ambulances and brigades.

The concert was still rescheduled.

“We’re traveling by train. And everyone is so disappointed,” expressed 41-year-old Venezuelan Hely Olivares, who had journeyed from Panama to witness the artist.

Prior to the concert being postponed, Swift stated on Instagram that she would not be discussing the death live because “talking about it even makes me feel overwhelmed with grief.”

“I would like to express that I am deeply affected by this loss and my thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends,” she said.

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