" Concerts are mean to be a secure space . Never a space where you should lose your life . "
Taylor Swiftsays she’s “devastated” after a fan who was supposed to see her perform in Rio de Janeiro yesterday died shortly before the show.
The fan was 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides Machado, according to atweetposted by event co-organizer Time for Fun. She had reportedly been treated by paramedics on-site after falling ill at the stadium and later died at a local hospital.
While Ana’s cause of death is uncertain, Rio and many other parts of Brazil experienced a dangerousheat wavethis week. Brazilian media outlets reported that fans had to wait in lines before the show and were not allowed to bring water bottles inside per venue rules.
A friend who attended the show with Ana told the online news site G1 that Ana fainted during Taylor’s performance of “Cruel Summer,” which was only the second song of the night.
“We always said that when (Taylor Swift) came to Brazil, we would find a way to go. The ticket was very expensive, but we still found a way," she told the outlet.
Taylor reacted to the news of Ana’s death on her Instagram Story, writing: “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 incredibly beautiful and far too young,” she continued.
“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 went on. “I want to say now that I feel this loss deeply and my 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.”
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes alsoposteda tweet saying he had ordered the municipality “to demand action with the production of the show” for Taylor’s remaining stops in Rio, including faster entrance to the concert and new water distribution points, among other things.
Taylor even took it upon herself to hand out water to fans in the crowd. “There’s people that need water, right here,” she said in a fanvideo, pointing toward a section of the audience. “Whoever is in charge of giving them that, please come and make sure that that happens.”
female parent is really generate tonightpic.twitter.com/QwcFmM234y
“Sorry, it’s just it’s very hot, so if somebody says they need water when it’s this hot, they really need it,” she added in another fan video.
Taylor Swift helps sports fan chant “ Water ” so as to get security & staff to bring water to fans.#RioTSTheErasTourpic.twitter.com / YuYqRIoWs1
You can see her post and other fan tributes below:
I feel like I wanted to cry while read her word of honor She is very pure I know . I can only imagine her feeling when she encounter out and I think the flavor of the girl ’s family and friends Rip Ana#RioTSTheErasTourpic.twitter.com / wz7Kqw1AfP
Concerts are meant to be a dependable space . Never a quad where you should lose your lifespan . It ’s heartbreaking to see this materialise when it could ’ve been keep . Ana merit to go to the show , love herself , and go home safely . This is unbelievable . Rip Ana 🕊 ️ ✨ 🤍
We are heartbroken about what happened at last dark ’s show and the life that was lamentably lost . The forbidding on water is simply an inhumane decision due to how of import it is for human beings and peculiarly in those experimental condition . RIP Ana Benevides 🙏 🏻 💝 T4F EXIGIMOS RESPEITO
