Taylor Swift’s concert organizers have announced sweeping changes for the weekend’s final Rio shows after a fan died and the company was accused of having blood on their hands.
Furious Taylor Swift fans targeted entertainment company Time For Fun (T4F) for banning concertgoers from bringing water to the sizzling venue where Ana Clara Benevides, 23, died of suspected cardiac arrest.
Swifties held T4F ‘responsible’ for the 23-year-old’s death and posted their vitriol on social media.
‘You are responsible for this! They ban water just for the sake of profit in their pockets!’ one fan complained.
‘Water is essential to life, and in addition to banning it, they also closed the air intakes for ‘better acoustics’.
Taylor Swift’s concert organizers have announced sweeping changes for the final shows in Rio this weekend after a fan died and the company was accused of having blood on their hands
Ana Clara Benevides, 23, died in hospital of suspected cardiac arrest after being treated by medical staff at the scene
Furious Taylor Swift fans targeted entertainment company Time For Fun (T4F) for banning concertgoers from bringing water into the sizzling venue
‘They cooked people alive in the stadium because you don’t want to pay for the minimum comfort for fans who already pay a lot for a ticket. Murderers!’
Ana Clara Benevides fainted during the show and is said to have suffered cardiac arrest. Despite efforts by doctors on the scene, Benevides was then taken to hospital, where she died.
T4F, a Brazilian entertainment company described as the third largest live entertainment company in Latin America and one of the largest in the world, broke their silence on Saturday.
It came after keyboard warriors insulted the company, blaming them for the tragedy and horror circumstances.
“It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23 years old,” they wrote.
‘Last night Ana Clara felt unwell and was assisted by a team of emergency workers and paramedics. She was taken to a medical center at the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium so that first aid protocol could be administered.
Swifties held T4F ‘responsible’ for the 23-year-old’s death and posted their vitriol on social media
Videos of people lining up under umbrellas and pouring water into the venue began to surface on Saturday after fans battled sweltering heat and dehydration
Ana Clara Benevides fainted during the show and is said to have suffered cardiac arrest. Despite efforts by doctors on the scene, Benevides was then taken to hospital, where she died
“Given the situation, the medical team opted to transfer her to Salgado Filho Hospital. After almost an hour of emergency care, she unfortunately died.
“We extend our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ana Clara Benevides.”
In response to requests for clarity about the measures being taken following the tragedy, T4F has posted a new update announcing an action plan.
‘Given the forecast of an increase in the heat wave in the city of Rio de Janeiro, we inform you that we are strengthening the special action plan for the first day of the show, in particular the provision of free water in the queues and at all entrances and entrances of the stadium and inside,” they wrote.
‘New free water distribution points will be available to the public during the event.
“Entry to the stadium with sealed glasses of water and sealed processed food will also be permitted, with no limit on the number of items per person.”
After heated debate online, T4F clarified in their post that the requirement for ‘sealed items follows safety recommendations’.
“We also emphasize that the ban on bottled water entering stadiums is a requirement of government authorities and that we do not sell drinks and food, this is a responsibility of the stadium management,” she added.
The entertainment company said its service staff would also be strengthened with an additional 200 employees in addition to the 1,230 already working at the event.
Disturbed by Benevide’s senseless death, Swiftie started a petition on change.org, which as of Saturday afternoon had attracted 153,224 signatures to provide free water at events.
The entertainment company said its service staff would also be strengthened with an additional 200 employees in addition to the 1,230 already working at the event.
“In addition, the medical care structure was strengthened, with a total of 8 available medical stations, 8 ambulances and 8 mobile ICUs,” they concluded.
Videos of people lining up under umbrellas and pouring water into the venue began to surface on Saturday after fans battled sweltering heat and dehydration.
Taylor, who was visibly agitated on stage and even went so far as to pause her performance midway to ensure fans were given fluids after hearing them shouting “water, water” in disturbing scenes between breaks in songs.
Disturbed by Benevide’s senseless death, Swiftie started a petition on change.org, which had attracted 153,224 signatures by Saturday afternoon to provide free water at events.
“Brazil suffered an irreparable loss of young Ana Benevides during a show in the state of Rio de Janeiro,” the petition’s description read.
‘According to third party information, the death of the young woman occurred due to extreme heat, with the thermal sensation reaching 60° Celsius (140 F).
“In one of the most anticipated events of this year, we saw a fatal accident happen before our eyes due to sheer negligence.
After heated debate online, T4F clarified in their post that the requirement for ‘sealed items follows safety recommendations’.
Taylor, who was visibly agitated on stage and even went so far as to pause her performance midway to ensure fans were given fluids after hearing them shouting “water, water” in disturbing scenes between breaks in songs
“Consumers in Brazil are tired of being disrespected by millionaire companies that don’t care about the consumer.”
The petition demanded free water and criticized the organizers and the role fans believe they played in the deaths.
“That said, I am here launching the campaign for the Ana Benevides Act, a law that guarantees free distribution at events,” it said.
‘The events industry is ashamed of the lack of responsibility from the company responsible for today’s event and would like to see change so that such a fatal accident does not occur again!’
Taylor previously broke her silence by remembering the fan as an “incredibly beautiful” person.
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words, but it’s with a broken heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” she wrote.
Benevides studies at UFMT Rondonópolis according to her Facebook
Taylor Swift broke her silence after Benevides died, remembering her as an “incredibly beautiful” person
“I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this. There is very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and way too young.”
Swift showed candor in her statement, revealing that she “couldn’t talk about this from the stage” because she is “overwhelmed with grief.”
“I want to say now that I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends,” she added.
“This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”