Taylor Swift’s Full Statement Following A Young Fan Dying At Her Concert

Taylor Swift is midway through her record-breaking Eras tour, performing 3-hour shows night after night, but this weekend she postponed one of her concerts in Rio de Janeiro after something awful happened. 

“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,” Taylor wrote in a statement to Instagram. “She was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”

“I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this.”

Here is Taylor Swift’s statement in full:

Taylor Swift’s statement. Image credit: @taylorswift Instagram

The city was experiencing a hectic heat wave at the time, with temperatures reaching 39 degrees right where Taylor was performing and increasing as more and more fans gathered together to watch the show. 

Taylor was seen handing out water bottles to fans during the concert, and even struggling to breathe herself on stage due to the heat. 

Taylor said she had little other information about the death of her fan but since her statement was released, Brazilian newspaper Fohla De Sao Paolo reported that the fan fainted at the stadium and later died, with the cause of death being given as cardiorespiratory arrest.

The fan has now also been identified as Ana Clara Benevides Machado – a 23-year-old.

Ana Clara Benevides Machado. Image credit: Sydney Morning Herald

Part of the problem with heat management during concerts in Rio has been pinned to the restriction on concert attendees not being able to bring their own water into the venue – relying instead on buying drinks while inside. 

Brazil’s Justice Minister Flávio Dino 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.

Taylor postponed her Saturday night show out of respect and also as the city was set for another scorcher. She returned to the stage on Sunday to a much cooler climate and a safer environment for her fans. 

Image credit: @taylorswift Instagram