The father of a fan who died at a Taylor Swift concert speaks out
The father of Ana Benevides, a Taylor Swift fan who died at the singer’s concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has spoken out about her death.
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The family of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, the young Taylor Swift fan who died in Rio de Janeiro on November 17, attended the final night of the Eras Tour in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Swift met up with the family before the show in Brazil, According to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. They posted a photo on Instagram of the Machado family with Swift and reported that the family watched the ceremony from one of the VIP tents on the grounds. The Benevides family were all wearing a T-shirt with their face on it.
It’s not clear if the Benevides were personally invited by Swift and her team.
A Swift fan page also shared screenshots Instagram.
Benevides died during an excessive heat warning on the first night in Rio de Janeiro.
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a broken heart to say that we lost a fan earlier the night before my show.” Swift said on Instagram Story message several hours after presentation. “I can’t even tell you how sad this makes me.”
According to the news site G1According to the Associated Press, Benevides created a WhatsApp group to share photos and videos of her trip with her family. Benevides sent family members a video broadcast by Globo News TV, telling them: “Mom, look at the plane, it’s moving. Mom, I’m on the plane. God is in heaven! I’m happy!”
Then before the concert, she posted a video of herself on Instagram wearing a Taylor Swift T-shirt and friendship bracelets, seeking shade under an umbrella while waiting in line to enter the stadium.
Benevides’ friend, Danielle Menin, who attended the concert with her, told the online news site G1 that her friend lost consciousness at the beginning of the concert, while Swift was performing her second song, “Cruel Summer.”
more: As police investigate the death of a fan at a Taylor Swift show, a safety expert offers concert tips
Speaking to USA TODAY, experts questioned whether Brazilian tour producer Time For Fun had taken proper safety measures for Taylor Swift’s show in Rio de Janeiro. Time For Fun’s CEO said the company could have taken more precautions.
Andrea Davis, President and CEO of Resilience Initiative, a global consulting firm focused on crisis management and risk mitigation planning, did not have an inside look at the exhibition’s planning. But, she says, “It was a huge loss.”
Davis has 25 years of emergency management experience and has worked with companies such as Disney and Wal-Mart and on events including the World Cup and the Times Square ball drop on New Year’s Eve.
“They should have known about the weather,” she says. “There should have been place-specific protocols. They should have made sure they had access to water, made sure there was plenty of water, and if it ran out, they had a reserve to get more. They should have had cooling stations and misters. Were there training Staff to be able to go out and see if someone is suffering and get them to help?
With Swift’s Eras Tour resuming in Europe next summer — with a heatwave closing the Acropolis in Greece when temperatures skyrocketed and the city of Rome setting up water stations to help tourists — Davis recommends that Swift’s team help keep concertgoers safe.
Swift’s Eras Tour has concluded for 2023. The tour will resume in February 2024 in Tokyo, Japan.
more: Taylor Swift returns to the Rio Theater after the death of one of her fans, and the show was postponed
Follow USA TODAY Network’s Taylor Swift correspondent Brian West on Instagram, Tik Tok And X as @BryanWestTV
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