What happened to Ana Clara Benevides? Taylor Swift fan dies at Eras concert in Brazil as singer says she is ‘overwhelmed with grief’ in a heart-wrenching note.
Swifties, the fanbase name for pop star Taylor Swift who are known for their high levels of participation, creativity, and fanaticism, just lost one of its members at her concert in Brazil.
The Taylor Swift concertgoer died at Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Friday night of November 17, 2023.
The identity of the renowned singer’s fan has been revealed as Ana Clara Benevides as the award-winning musician has shared a heartbreaking message to her family.
Here’s everything we know about her and what happened to her.
Who was Ana Clara Benevides?
Ana Clara Benevides (born in 2000) was one of the millions of fans of singer Taylor Swift.
The 23-year-old was considered a Swiftie, the name of Taylor Swift’s fanbase.
She was originally from Brazil where she was brought up, had her education, and was working.
Her life was cut short after she died at her ‘idol’s’ concert at a stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
The young woman’s tragic passing happened on November 17, 2023, shortly before Travis Kelce‘s girlfriend took to the stage in Brazil.
Swift had arrived in South America earlier in November for the accompanying leg of her epic Eras tour.
What happened to Ana Clara Benevides?
Tragically, it has been reported that a member of Ana Clara’s family has confirmed her death.
According to the Brazilian publication Folha de Sao Paulo, Ana’s cousin Estela Benevides received the awful news from doctors over the phone.
Ana Clara is reported to have died of cardiorespiratory arrest after fainting at Rio de Janeiro’s Nilton Santos Stadium ahead of Taylor’s gig there.
Her friend, Thiago Fernandes, told the press that Ana Clara was revived after fainting at the stadium but had a second arrest on the way to the hospital.
Temperatures in Rio de Janeiro were recorded as high as 100F, approximately 37C, on the day of Taylor’s concert, leading to a local heat warning.
It has also been reported that the stadium reached a thermal sensation of 60C.
Firefighters unofficially recorded 1,000 fainting spells during the November 17 show by the Midnights star.
Fans were reportedly banned from bringing water bottles into the stadium for Swift’s gig.
Many concert-goers complained on social media about the ban, suggesting they should be permitted to bring them in due to the high temperatures.
Footage released from the event shows Swift pausing her performance to instruct her team to get water to fans.
The star, who is dating American football star Kelce, was also seen handing out bottles to the crowd herself after hearing her fans chant for water.
Last video of Ana Clara Benevide shows her fanning herself in a sweltering heat.
Ana Clara Benevides was seen fanning herself in sweltering heat as she waited at least eight hours to see her idol on stage.
Ana Clara fanned herself to cool down and tried to keep out of the sun under a large umbrella a man sitting beside her was holding as she told followers she had been inside the stadium since 11am to claim a spot near the front of the stage.
Despite the intense heat, she also appeared happy and excited at the prospect of seeing American singer-songwriter Taylor start her performance in what she described as a “dream come true.”
The footage she posted showed other fans around her using large umbrellas to keep the sun’s hot rays off them, although some male concert-goers had stripped off their T-shirts and were bare-chested.
And it is understood approximately eight hours after she arrived at the stadium she collapsed, being declared dead at 8.50 pm after arriving at hospital.
Earlier Ana Clara posted footage of her on a coach heading to the concert venue with a female friend where she declared: “I am fulfilling a dream.”
She went on to reveal in her Instagram Live video she had forgotten a cap she had intended to bring.
She also marveled at the footage of the amount of people on the road heading to the stadium.
The videos were the last she shared with friends and followers on social media before her shock death.
Ana Clara also shared a 10-day countdown on X saying there wasn’t long left until she “lived her dream”.
On November 7, the fan tweeted: “I literally don’t know what my purpose in life will be after I see Taylor.”
What has Taylor Swift said about her fan’s death?
Shortly after her November 17 show, Taylor shared a handwritten note on her Instagram story addressing Ana Clara’s death.
The message read: “I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show.
“I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this.
“There’s very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”
Taylor continued: “I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it.
“I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends.
“This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
The concert where Ana Clara first fainted was the first of Taylor’s three scheduled shows in Rio de Janeiro.
The final stop of the South American leg of the Evermore star’s tour is scheduled for the end of November in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Swift will then travel to Europe in 2024 for several more dates, including some in the UK.