Death of Ana Clara Benevides
Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos where the incident took place
Date17 November 2023; 5 months ago (2023-11-17)
Timec. 19:30 (BRT)
LocationEstádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Coordinates22°53′36″S 43°17′32″W / 22.8933°S 43.2923°W / -22.8933; -43.2923
DeathsOne person

On 17 November 2023, at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro, before American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's first concert, an incident took place during which one person died. The concertgoer in question was a Brazilian student named Ana Clara Benevides Machado.

Rio de Janeiro recorded an abnormal heat index of 59.3°C (138.7°F) on 17 November 2023, as part of a heat wave across South America. Nevertheless, the concert organizer, Brazilian entertainment company T4F – Time For Fun, reportedly prohibited concertgoers from bringing their own water bottles into the venue, citing "security concerns". Their decision caused about one thousand fans to faint before and during the show due to dehydration, according to firefighter estimates. Swift had observed some of the fainted audience members halfway through the show and ordered her team to dispense water bottles to them.

Benevides posted videos of herself to social media, showing her waiting outside the stadium for around eight hours before the stadium personnel allowed entry; she described the experience as a "mess". After reporting to paramedics that she was feeling unwell shortly after the show began, Benevides fainted. She was taken to a first aid center and then rushed to Salgado Filho Hospital an hour later, where she was declared dead. Benevides suffered a cardiac arrest[note 1] but a criminal investigation was opened to determine an official cause of death.

The death generated widespread criticism of T4F's poor concert management. Fans of Swift claimed that the water bottle ban, exacerbated by the heat wave, caused attendees to fall sick and led to Benevides' death. Swift postponed her 18 November concert to 20 November, citing "extreme temperatures", and grieved for Benevides. Politicians such as the federal minister of justice and public security, Flávio Dino, and the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, announced that appropriate precautions would be implemented in the public events henceforth, with free water stations amongst other obligations. Congresswoman Erika Hilton opined that T4F should be held accountable and voiced for a bill that criminalizes lack of free water at concerts.

Context

Swift announced the Latin American leg of her sixth headlining concert tour, the Eras Tour, on 2 June 2023, with Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo amongst its stops in November 2023, marking Swift's return to Brazil after an 11-year gap.[1] More shows were added in both cities following high demand.[2]

Brazilian entertainment company T4F – Time For Fun served as an official partner for the tour, responsible for the tour's ticket sales and stadium management in Brazil. Unrest was reported on 11 June 2023, outside the Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo venues' box offices as scalpers attempted to bypass the queued fans, including some armed scalpers who threatened violence; police arrived at the scene to maintain order.[3] T4F was reported over 100 times to authorities for their inaction.[4] On 20 June, congress members of Brazil filed the "Taylor Swift Law", which penalized scalpers with up to four years in prison and a fine of up to 100 times the value of the ticket.[5]

From 14 November 2023, Brazil began experiencing a heat wave, with red alerts issued to around 3,000 towns and cities across the country. According to The Independent, "over a hundred million people have reportedly been impacted by the extreme weather."[6]

Incident

On 17 November 2023, for the first Brazilian concert of the Eras Tour in Rio de Janeiro, T4F reportedly prohibited concertgoers from bringing their own water bottles inside the venue for security reasons. According to Variety, it was one of the hottest days recorded in Rio de Janeiro, with a heat index of 59.3 °C (138.74 °F),[7] exacerbated by humidity of 84% and a lack of a breeze. A number of fans were dehydrated and fainted before and during the show; video footage posted to social media showed queued fans with disposable coolers, fans, umbrella and bags of ice.[8][9][10] Time reported that thousands of fans, especially those with general admission tickets for the floor, waited for hours in the sun before being allowed inside the stadium.[11]

Benevides and a friend arrived at the concert venue, Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, at approximately 11:00 a.m. BRT.[12] Benevides created a WhatsApp group to keep her family updated on the concert, and would regularly share pictures and videos.[13] Another attendee compared the conditions inside of the stadium to a sauna: "It was extremely hot. My hair got so wet from sweat as soon as I came in. There was a point at which I had to check my breathing to make sure I wasn't going to pass out."[11] Benevides drank plenty of water, but saw several concertgoers looking "distressed" and others "yelling for water."[11] Benevides and her friend brought water with them, which they drank while they waited outside of the venue; once inside, they purchased room temperature water from T4F.[12] The attendee who compared the conditions to a sauna was able to get water from the sidelines of the area she was standing in, but stated it was much more difficult to access.[11]

Before the show began, Benevides reported to paramedics present at the stadium that she was feeling unwell.[7] She fainted at around 7:30 p.m. during Swift's performance of "Cruel Summer", the second song in the tour's set-list.[7][11] According to T4F, paramedics attended to Benevides before she was rushed to a first aid center, and then to Salgado Filho Hospital, where she died an hour later,[7] despite several resuscitation attempts.[14] Rio de Janeiro's health service agency reported that she arrived at the hospital without a pulse.[15] The state's public prosecutor opened a criminal investigation and announced that Benevides' body was being examined to determine a cause of death.[9] Folha de S.Paulo reported cardiorespiratory arrest as the cause.[16] According to Buenos Aires Herald, Benevides died of "cardiac arrest due to dehydration".[14]

As the concert progressed, some fans attempted to indicate to Swift that they needed water and held signs.[17] Swift paused her performance during the Evermore act of the show, noting the fainted audience members, and asked "whoever in charge" to dispense water to them several times during the concert. The crowds chanted "water, water" repeatedly; Swift's team then began distributing water bottles in the crowd. While singing "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)", around the halfway mark of the show, Swift collected a water bottle from one side of the stage and gave it to a dehydrated fan on the other side.[8][9][10] According to the firefighters' estimates, around one thousand people fainted during the event.[18][11]

Responses

Following the news of the death, T4F attracted widespread criticism from concert-goers, fans and Brazilian politicians for the mismanagement of the concert.[11]

Fans

Several fans claimed that T4F "refused" to provide concertgoers water.[15] A fan group launched an online petition on Change.org on 18 November 2023, demanding for a "Benevides Law" to "make water in events mandatory." The petition gained more than 150,000 signatures in a few hours. They also urged T4F to lift the ban on bringing water bottles, in light of the "unprecedented" heat wave.[11]

Taylor Swift

Swift posted on social media that she was "devastated" by the news: "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 [...] she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young".[7][19] She added that "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".[17] As temperatures on 18 November were reported to be worse than the previous day, Swift postponed the 18 November concert, citing "extreme temperatures". She explained that "the safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to and always will come first."[6] T4F confirmed 20 November as the new date.[17] It marked the second time a show on the Eras Tour has been postponed, after the second Buenos Aires show was delayed due to thunderstorms.[17] LATAM Airlines, Gol Linhas Aéreas, and Azul Brazilian Airlines offered ticket-holders an exempt from rescheduling flight fees for the postponed Rio de Janeiro show.[20][21] During her second show in Rio De Janeiro, Swift paid tribute to Benevides by singing "Bigger Than the Whole Sky".

T4F

On 17 November, following the news about the death of Benevides, T4F posted to social media explaining her death.[9][15] On 18 November, the original day of the second Rio de Janeiro show, T4F placed water stations within the venue grounds to cater to the concertgoers.[6]

Political

Brazilian federal authorities announced that "free water would be made available at all future concerts" and made "easily accessible".[15][10] The minister of justice of Brazil, Flávio Dino, tweeted that the Ministry of Justice and Public Security will implement "emergency rules" regarding access to water at public events henceforth.[22] The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, tweeted that the "loss of a young woman's life [...] is unacceptable" and stated that T4F will be demanded to "provide new water distribution points and more ambulances, and that entry be advanced by one hour."[22] Congresswoman Erika Hilton, a PSOL member of the national Chamber of Deputies, condemned T4F and filed a complaint with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, stating that T4F should be held accountable for its "criminal" offense, and introduced a bill draft that would make free water and drinking fountains at concerts mandatory and penalize companies that denying entry to concertgoers carrying water.[23]

Benevides' father

Benevides' father, Weiny Machado, demanded punishment for those responsible for her death and called the water bottle ban "absurd".[24] However, he also stated that he would "wait [for] the final medical report" before accusing someone of the death of his daughter to "avoid controversy".[25] He stated that he was not contacted by T4F after the incident and that he learned of his daughter's death only from Menin, her friend, via phone call.[26]

Note

  1. ^ The time of Benevides' cardiac arrest has not been revealed. Whether she suffered the cardiac arrest during the waiting time outside the stadium or while inside the stadium or at the first-aid center or while being transported to the hospital is unclear.

References

  1. ^ Garcia, Thania (2 June 2023). "Taylor Swift Adds International 'Eras Tour' Dates With Support from Sabrina Carpenter". Variety. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  2. ^ Dailey, Hannah (12 June 2023). "Taylor Swift Adds 3 More Eras Tour Dates to Latin American Leg: See Them Here". Billboard. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Fãs relatam confusão com cambistas por ingressos de shows de Taylor Swift" [Fans report confusion with scalpers for Taylor Swift concert tickets]. Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 11 June 2023. Archived from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  4. ^ Camiotto, Giovanna (16 June 2023). "Taylor Swift: Justiça investiga práticas abusivas na venda de ingressos" [Taylor Swift: Justice investigates abusive practices in ticket sales] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Terra. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  5. ^ Kennedy, Roseann; Côrtes, Gustavo (19 June 2023). "Deputada propõe 'Lei Taylor Swift' em resposta à ação de cambistas" [Congresswoman proposes 'Taylor Swift Bill' in response to scalper action]. O Estado de S. Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Sachdeva, Maanya (18 November 2023). "Taylor Swift's second Brazil show postponed over heat concerns after fan's death". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e Wu, Valerie (18 November 2023). "Taylor Swift 'Devastated' After Fan Dies at Rio Concert: 'She Was So Incredibly Beautiful and Far Too Young'". Variety. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  8. ^ a b West, Bryan (17 November 2023). "'There's people that need water.' Taylor Swift pauses Eras show in Rio to help fans". USA Today. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d Losciale, Marisa (18 November 2023). "Swifties Call Out Rio Stadium After Videos of Singer Passing Out Water Go Viral". Parade. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Jannett, Dianne (18 November 2023). "Taylor Swift fan dies at Rio concert as fans complain about high temperatures and lack of water". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Jeantet, Dianne (18 November 2023). "Taylor Swift Fan Dies Before Eras Concert in Rio". Time. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Fã morre durante show de Taylor Swift no Rio; veja o que se sabe até agora e o que falta esclarecer". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Fan Dies at Taylor Swift Concert in Rio Amid Heat Complaints, No Water". Voice of America. 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Young woman dies during Taylor Swift show in Brazil". Buenos Aires Herald. 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d Ayres, Marcela; Gaier, Rodrigo Viga (18 November 2023). "Taylor Swift fan dies at show in sweltering Rio de Janeiro". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  16. ^ Nanji, Noor (18 November 2023). "Taylor Swift 'devastated' as fan dies before show". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  17. ^ a b c d Peters, Mitchell (18 November 2023). "Taylor Swift Postpones 2nd Rio de Janeiro Concert Following Death of Fan". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  18. ^ Morais, Mariana (18 November 2023). "Fã de Taylor Swift morre e cerca de mil desmaiam em show no Rio". Correio Braziliense (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Taylor Swift lamenta morte de fã durante show do Rio: 'Coração partido'". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  20. ^ Rocha, Carolina (18 November 2023). "Latam e Gol anunciam que fãs de Taylor Swift não terão de pagar taxas extras para remarcar voos". Quem. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  21. ^ Boll, Júlio (18 November 2023). "Taylor Swift: Companhias aéreas anunciam isenção para remarcar passagens por conta de adiamento". F5. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  22. ^ a b Taylor, Harry (18 November 2023). "Taylor Swift fan dies before Brazil concert amid sweltering conditions". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  23. ^ "Taylor Swift: deputada Erika Hilton pediu a Ministério Público para investigar venda de ingressos". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 12 June 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  24. ^ "'Saiu para realizar um sonho e retorna morta', diz pai de fã morta em show de Taylor Swift". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Pai diz que vai aguardar 'laudo final' e evitar 'controvérsia' sobre morte de fã em show de Taylor Swift". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  26. ^ "Taylor Swift: pai de jovem morta diz que empresa não entrou em contato". Metrópoles (in Brazilian Portuguese). 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
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