Rio de Janeiro’s police have initiated an investigation into the organisers of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” in Brazil following the death of a 23-year-old fan, Ana Clara Benevides, who fell ill during the show last week. The focus of the investigation is whether entertainment firm Time for Fun (T4F) committed the crime of endangering human life or health.
Concert-goers reported being prohibited from bringing bottles of water into the venue despite the scorching heat in Rio, reaching 59.3 degrees Celsius (138.7 degrees Fahrenheit) on the day of the event. Ana Clara Benevides fell ill on the first night of Swift’s Rio tour and later passed away in the hospital. Swift subsequently postponed her concert the next day, just hours before she was scheduled to perform.
Rio’s civil police released a statement stating that the organisers of the event, T4F, would be summoned to provide evidence, and further investigations are underway to establish the facts. Additionally, a separate investigation into the cause of Benevides’ death has been launched.
T4F, in response to the investigations, stated that the company and its representatives are cooperating with the authorities and are available for any necessary clarifications. The CEO of T4F, Serafim Abreu, acknowledged that alternative actions could have been taken by the concert organisers to help fans cope with the extreme heat.
The Brazilian leg of Taylor Swift’s tour will conclude with three sold-out shows in Sao Paulo from November 24 to 26, also organised by T4F. Weather forecasts for those days indicate cloudy, rainy conditions with milder temperatures.
