Authorities to investigate the company behind Taylor Swift's Brazil shows following fan's death
Brazilian police will soon investigate Time4Fun, the Brazilian company that organized Taylor Swift’s shows in Rio de Janeiro, following the death of a fan and reported unbearable conditions while attending "The Eras Tour" concert on Friday, Nov. 17.
According to NBC News, the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro's consumer delegations department is investigating the alleged "crime of danger to life or health" by the company. Authorities said that the event organizers will be called to testify and that they are gathering more information.
Brazilian newspaper Estadão, on the other hand, explained that authorities are set to "investigate everything that fans reported, such as the structure of the place and the availability of water."
Time4Fun did not immediately respond to requests for comment, said NBC.
Last Nov. 17, 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides Machado went into cardiac arrest during the second song of Swift's set. Reports said temperatures reached almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Concertgoers also claimed they were not allowed to bring their own water to the Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos stadium.
In some videos posted on X, Swift can be seen pausing from time to time to ask for water from officials and help hand it out to fans.
The following day, Swift was forced to cancel her Saturday performance due to the "extreme temperatures in Rio."
📹 | During the show Taylor helped fans get water due to the extreme heat
— Taylor Swift Updates 🩵 (@TSwiftLA) November 18, 2023
“Sorry it’s just very hot so when somebody says they need water and it’s this hot they really need it.” #RioTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/2ttYlpujWH
"I'm writing this from my dressing room in the stadium," Swift posted on Instagram. "The decision has been made to postpone tonight's show due to extreme temperatures in Rio."
"The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to and always will come first," she added.
Meanwhile, Weiny Machado, the father of Benevides, told the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo he needed answers about his daughter's untimely passing.
"I want to know if it's true that they are prohibited from bringing water and neglected to provide assistance,” he told the outlet. “I lost my only daughter, a happy and intelligent girl.”
Machado sought to hold those responsible for his daughter's tragic death for their actions.
“Nothing will bring my daughter back,” he said. “But I hope that, if negligence is confirmed, someone will be punished so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Swift is scheduled to play three more shows in São Paulo, where fans will now be allowed to take some food and water into the venue following T4F's advisory on social media.