Taylor Swift fan dies before 'The Eras Tour' concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A 23-year-old Taylor Swift fan died at her Eras Tour concert in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, according to the show's organizers in Brazil.
The show's organizers, Time4Fun, confirmed the death of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, in a post on social media.
Benevides Machado felt unwell and was attended to by firefighters and paramedics at the concert. She was taken to the medical station at the Nilton Santos Stadium for first aid. The medical team then transferred her to the Salgado Filho Hospital where she died, after an hour of emergency care, Time4Fun said in a statement in Portuguese.
Swift announced on social media that Saturday's show would be postponed "due to the extreme temperatures in Rio." Expressing that "the safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to and will always come first."
Temperatures reached a high of 105 degrees on Friday, with a heat index of 123 degrees, according to Radar Meteorológico do Sumaré. Brazil has been experiencing a heat wave unusual for the spring, according to the National Meteorological Institute.
In a handwritten note shared on her social media Friday evening, Swift said she had a "shattered heart."
"I can't believe I'm writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show. I can't even tell you how devastated I am by this. There's very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young," Swift said.
"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. 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," Swift added.
The show's organizers, Time4Fun, said on Instagram that Ana Clara Benevides Machado was attended by paramedics after feeling unwell. She was taken to the stadium's first aid center, then to a hospital, where she died an hour later, according to a statement.
In a social media post online, Time4Fun said that due to recent events, they would allow concertgoers to bring in personal water bottles and food, cautioning people to pay attention to their bodies for signs of exhaustion.
Organizers also said free water distribution points will be set up and there will be eight medical posts at the remaining shows.
Swift's "The Eras Tour" had scheduled shows in Brazil on Nov. 17, 18 and 19, at the Nilton Santos Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, and then will head to Allianz Parque, São Paulo, for shows scheduled on Nov. 24, 25 and 26.
The postponed show is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 20.
