Taylor Swift postpones Rio concert after fan death

News Express |19th Nov 2023 | 117
Taylor Swift postpones Rio concert after fan death

Taylor Swift




Taylor Swift has postponed a concert she was due to perform in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, after a fan died shortly before her show on Friday.

The decision came as thousands of people were already at the stadium as part of her record-breaking Eras tour.

Posting on Instagram, Swift said: The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers and crew has to and always will come first.

Brazil is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, triggering health alerts.

Authorities warned of the danger to life as it recorded a heat index, which combines temperature with humidity, of 59.3C on Friday followed by 59.7C on Saturday.

The US pop star's show on Monday will still go ahead.

In a statement on Instagram, the pop star said she was devastated over the death of a fan and that her heart was shattered, adding: She was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.

I cant believe Im writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show, Swift wrote.

I cant even tell you how devastated I am by this.

According to the organisers, 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides Machado had sought help at the stadium after feeling unwell. She was transferred to hospital but died one hour later.

According to Brazilian newspaper Fohla De Sao Paolo, the cause of death was given as cardiorespiratory arrest.

Taylor Swift, 33, said she would not be able to speak about the incident from the stage because she felt overwhelmed by grief whenever she tried 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.

She added that this was the last thing she thought would happen when she brought the tour to Brazil.

Swift said she had little other information about the death.

At one point, while singing All Too Well, she was seen throwing a water bottle into the crowd.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that what happened was unacceptable and he had asked the shows producers for several changes including extra water distribution points and more emergency services on standby.

Brazils Justice Minister Flávio Dino also posted on X that fans must be allowed to bring in water bottles to the venues.

He ordered the company organising the Eras Tour in Brazil, T4F Entertainment, to provide fans with free and easily accessible drinking water.

The minister's statement came after concert-goers were banned from bringing in their own water bottles.

Swift arrived in Brazil earlier this week for her record-breaking tour, with Rio de Janeiros Christ the Redeemer statue illuminated to welcome her to the country.

The pop star is due to play two more shows in Rio before heading to Sao Paulo.

Swift had to cancel previously scheduled performances in the country because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

She is coming to the UK in June 2024, where she will play Edinburgh, London, Liverpool and Cardiff.

The BBC has approached T4F Entertainment, for a response. (BBC)




Comments

Post Comment

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 12:56 AM
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on

GOCOP Accredited Member

GOCOP Accredited member
logo

NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.

Contact

Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State.
+234(0)8098020976, 07013416146, 08066020976
info@newsexpressngr.com

Find us on

Facebook
Twitter

Copyright NewsExpress Nigeria 2025