Tragedy struck on Friday, November 17th, 2023 when a 23-year-old Taylor Swift fan, Ana Clara Benevides, died on the first night of the Eras Tour in Brazil. Swift was performing at the Nilton Santos stadium in Sol de Janeiro when outside temperatures spiked to 105℉. Newsweek 90 reported that “the heat index at the stadium ‘reached 60C [degrees Celsius]’ – 140 degrees Fahrenheit”.
These extreme conditions caused by a heat wave were incredibly unbearable for the 60,000 fans present that night,tightly packed together in the stadium. Some fans reported being told to dump out or throw away any water bottles that were brought with them into the stadium, making it even more difficult to stay hydrated in the extreme weather conditions.
Water was being sold at the venue, however the sheer amount of people in the stadium made it difficult for the fans to reach vendors selling water. Those who were able to reach the vendors and purchase water were given small amounts in cups, again making it difficult for fans to get enough water and stay hydrated.
It was during Swift’s second song of the night, “Cruel Summer” that the lack of water and intense conditions caught up to Benevides and she passed out due heat exhaustion. A friend of hers told The Washington Post that she “remembered how the 23-year-old jumped, sang and cried when she saw Swift – then fainted.”
Benevides suffered a cardiac arrest and was quickly taken out of the crowd by paramedics and firefighters. She was taken to the medical center at the stadium where resuscitation was attempted for 40 minutes. Following this attempt, she was transferred to Salgado Filho Hospital in an ambulance in which she suffered a second cardiac arrest. Benevides died about an hour after her arrival at the hospital.
Upon hearing of the tragedy, Swift took to Instagram to share her condolences with the Benevides family, stating “This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.” The organization responsible for managing the tour known as Time For Fun addressed the situation on Instagram as well, sharing a post that stated “To the family and friends of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, our sincere condolences.”
Despite the heartfelt words from Swift and Time For Fun, the burning question of who is to blame for this disaster remains. Most fans present at the concert have accused Time For Fun for being the cause of Benevides’ death because of the lack of preparation for a concert during a heat wave and the prohibition of water bottles in such extreme temperatures. Many have pardoned Swift of any blame, seeing that she tried to hand out plastic bottles of water to as many concert goers as she could as well as suffering through the heat herself.
Time For Fun responded to the backlash on Instagram explaining that “We also emphasize that the prohibition of bottles of water entering the stadium is a requirement made by public bodies and that we do not sell drinks and food, which is the responsibility of the stadium administration.” The group then went on to stress that the stadium must do a better job of distributing water in such extreme circumstances.
That being said, the head of Brazil’s consumer protection agency Wadih Damous, argued to The New York Times that the blame should still be placed on Time For Fun, expressing that “The decision to prevent thousands of people from drinking water in 60-degree celsius heat is insane and irresponsible.” He also stated that the Brazilian government would be investigating Time For Fun. Regardless of who is to blame, Benevides’ tragic death has left a lasting mark on Swifties around the world and calls attention to the dangers of large crowds in concerts during extreme conditions.
