Taylor Swift Fan Dies & Many Faint Due To Heat-Related Illnesses At Rio de Janeiro Concert
The exact cause of her death remains undisclosed.
By Tamara Jayne — 22 Nov 2023, 11:49 AM
At Taylor Swift's recent concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, several attendees fainted due to the heat, and unfortunately, one person died
Ana Clara Benevides, a 23-year-old fan and psychology student, died after attending Taylor Swift's concert at Estádio Nilton Santos on 17 November, as reported by AP News.
She fainted in the front row, received CPR, and was taken to the hospital, where she experienced a second cardiac arrest and ultimately died. While some initial reports attributed the incident to heat, the exact cause of her death remains undisclosed.
On the same day, Rio experienced an intense heatwave, leading to several fans, including Benevides, fainting.
The concert coincided with the city recording its highest-ever heat index reading, a combination of temperature and humidity, at 59.3°C.
Swift expressed her sorrow and condolences to Benevides' family and friends on her Instagram Stories
"I'm not going to able to speak about this from the stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil," she wrote on Instagram.
While Swift stated that Benevides had passed away "before her show," friends of the concert-goer informed local media that she fell ill after the concert had already started.
Investigations are also currently underway, prompted by complaints from fans about the insufficient access to water in the stadium.
Pitchfork reported that entertainment company T4F had prevented fans from bringing water inside.
Fans waited for hours in the sweltering heat for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert at Nilton Santos Olympic stadium.
Image via Silvia Izquierdo/AP PhotoIn multiple videos, the artiste was seen stopping her show and taking it upon herself to hand out bottles of water to the crowd
Firefighters were also on the scene, assisting thousands of fans who suffered from dehydration and fainted due to the intense heat.
Following the unfortunate incidents, federal authorities announced that free water would now be made available at concerts and large events.
In another tragic incident on Monday, 19 November, at 3am, 25-year-old Gabriel Mongenot Santana Milhomem Santos, who had travelled to attend Taylor Swift's concert, was fatally stabbed on Copacabana beach.
It was the second death reported of a Swift fan within four days.
