Rio police investigate Taylor Swift concert organizers after fan’s death

A couple protect themselves with an umbrella for high temperatures, as they wait before the Taylor Swift concert, following the death of a fan due to the heat during the first day concert, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nov. 18, 2023. Image: Reuters/Pilar Olivares

RIO DE JANEIRO — Rio de Janeiro’s police said on Friday they have opened an investigation into the organizers of the Brazilian leg of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” for the death of a 23-year-old fan who fell ill at the show last week.

The police will investigate whether entertainment firm Time for Fun (T4F) committed the crime of endangering human life or health.

Fans and concert-goers said they had been banned from entering the venue with bottles of water despite the extreme heat in the city which hit 59.3 degrees Celsius (138.7 degrees Fahrenheit) on the day of the event.

Ana Clara Benevides fell ill last Friday, on the first night of Swift’s Rio tour in Rio, and later died in hospital. The extreme weather led the US pop star to postpone her concert the following day, just two hours before she was to go on stage.

“The organizers of the event will be called to give evidence and further investigations are underway to ascertain the facts,” Rio’s civil police said in a statement.

Police have also launched a separate investigation into the cause of Benevides’ death, which has not yet been concluded.

T4F said the company and its representatives were cooperating with the authorities and available for any clarifications.

The firm’s CEO Serafim Abreu acknowledged on Thursday that the concert organizers could have taken “alternative actions” to help fans cope with the extreme heat. Swift will conclude the Brazilian leg of her tour with three sold-out shows in Sao Paulo from Nov. 24 to 26, which are also organized by T4F.

Weather forecasters say those days are set to be cloudy, rainy and have milder temperatures. AP