RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Outrage has met the death of a 23-year-old fan at a Taylor Swift concert in Rio de Janeiro on November 19, prompting an immediate investigation by the public prosecutor’s office. While the cause of Ana Clara Benevides Machado’s death remains unknown, attendees complained about their inability to bring water into Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium, despite the punishing heat.
The concert’s organizers in Brazil, Time4Fun, stated that paramedics had tended to Benevides when she reported feeling unwell. She was moved to a first-aid center and then to a local hospital where she passed away.
Audience members stated that despite this week seeing record-breaking temperatures in Rio de Janeiro, they were not permitted to bring water bottles into the venue.
Taylor Swift, in response to the incident, posted a handwritten note on her social media, expressing her sorrow and sympathy for the passing of the young fan. Justice Minister Flávio Dino announced emergency rules in response to the incident, stating that audiences will now be allowed to bring personal water bottles into concerts and other events. The decision also mandates event organizers to provide free and easily accessible drinking water.
Swift’s next two performances in Rio are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. State prosecutors have pledged to monitor the newly instated conditions to prevent further issues and guarantee audience safety. The late Benevides had uploaded a video of herself before the concert, already queuing to enter the stadium in the heat.
Rio de Janeiro’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, called the loss of a young life “unacceptable”, promising that the city government would require the concert organizers to provide more water distribution points, boost medical personnel, speed up entrance to the concert by an hour, and increase ambulance availability before the next shows.