TAYLOR Swift has announced that she will be postponing Saturday night’s Eras Tour concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, following the death of a fan on Friday.
Ana Clara Benevides, 23, died of cardiac arrest in sweltering heat before the star went on stage for the first night of a three-night run in the Brazilian city.
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“I’m writing this from my dressing room in the stadium,” Taylor, 33, wrote in a statement in an Instagram Story on Saturday.
“The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio.”
She added: “The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers and crew has to and always will come first.”
The fan fainted and went into fatal cardiac arrest as she waited for the pop idol to take to the stage on Friday night.
TRAGIC FINAL FOOTAGE
Final footage shared by Benevides showed her enduring 100-degree temperatures waiting to get inside the Rio de Janeiro stadium.
The footage was posted by her to Instagram Live at 5 pm local time as she waited for the show to start.
Benevides fanned herself to cool down and tried to keep out of the sun under a large umbrella that a man beside her was holding.
She told followers she had been waiting since 11 am to claim a spot near the front of the stage.
Despite the intense heat, she also appeared happy and excited to see the hitmaker perform in what she described as a “dream come true.”
Approximately eight hours after Benevides arrived at the stadium, she collapsed in the front row and was declared dead at 8:50 pm after arriving at the hospital.
Benevides was on the railing and ended up fainting at the scene.
Earlier, Benevides also posted footage of her on a coach heading to the concert venue with a female friend, where she declared: “I am fulfilling a dream.”
She revealed in her Instagram Live video that she had forgotten a hat she had intended to bring.
The fan’s death was confirmed by her cousin Estela Benevides, who received the news over the phone after doctors failed to revive her.
Pal Thiago Fernandes, 22, said his friend was revived at the stadium for 40 minutes before having a second arrest on the way to the hospital.
CHANTING FOR WATER
Firefighters told local press overnight around 1,000 fans had fainted in the searing heat inside the stadium, with others having to be helped after vomiting.
Many of those attending the concert claimed they were banned from taking water into the venue, and the water on offer inside the venue was being sold at “very high” prices.
Shocking footage showed the moment fans chanted for water at the sweltering concert.
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After hearing the desperate pleas for water, the Grammy-winning artist interrupted her performance to help her fans.
“You don’t need to chant, it’s totally fine,” Taylor told her audience, later instructing her team from the stage: “We just need to get water to them.”
Another clip showed the performer tossing a water bottle to dehydrating fans during her performance of All Too Well.
Taylor grabbed the bottle from a helpful stagehand, walked over to the center of the stage and launched it into the crowd.
Another fan, Elizabeth Morin, 26, also stressed the intensity of the heat, claiming many waiting in line were “yelling for water” with “a good amount of people looking distressed,” per the Associated Press.
“They were holding up their phones saying ‘We need water,’” Morin told the publication.
An Instagram post by organizers Time For Fun (T4F) listed the concert’s forbidden items, including bottles, thermal cups, cans, beverages, and plastic containers.
“It was extremely hot. My hair got so wet from sweat as soon as I came in,” she added.
“There was a point at which I had to check my breathing to make sure I wasn’t going to pass out.”
Event organizers T4F released a short statement on Instagram expressing their condolences to Benevides’ family after her death.
It read: “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing
of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23 years old.
“Last night, Ana Clara felt unwell and was promptly attended to by the team of firefighters and paramedics, being taken to the medical center at the Nilton Santos Stadium for first aid protocol.
“Given the situation, the medical team chose to transfer her to Salgado Filho Hospital, where after almost an hour of emergency care, she unfortunately died.
“To the family and friends of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, our sincere condolences.”
The entertainment company has yet to officially comment on the fans’ claims about the water and searing heat.
‘DEVASTATED’
Sharing a written note on her Instagram Story after the concert ended, Taylor shared her heartbreak.
“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,” she wrote.
“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.”
Taylor performed her first of three shows in Rio de Janeiro on Friday as temperatures soared.
It is unclear if Taylor will also be canceling the Sunday night show.
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