Brazilian officials investigating company behind Taylor Swift shows in Rio de Janeiro after fan's death

[Nergal]

SÃO PAULO — Police in Rio de Janeiro said Wednesday that an investigation has been launched into Time4Fun — the Brazilian company that organized Taylor Swift’s shows in the city — days after a fan died and others reported unbearable conditions after having attended the Eras Tour during an extreme heat wave. 

A spokesperson for the Civil Police Department of Rio de Janeiro said its consumer delegations department had launched an inquiry into “the crime of endangering the life and health” of concertgoers. 

 

“Event organizers will be called to testify, and other steps are underway to investigate the facts,” the statement said. 

Time4Fun did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but CEO Serafim Abreu said in a video posted to social media Thursday that the company apologized to "all who did not have the best possible experience."

"We know the enormous responsibility we have to organize an event of this scale, which is why we did not economize in our efforts or resources to follow the best global practices in our industry to guarantee the comfort and safety of all," Abreu said.

Abreu added that the company could have taken "alternative steps" to ensure a better experience for fans, such as adding more shaded areas during the extreme heat.

Last week, the company confirmed the death of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23, at Friday night’s concert. The show was held as a record-breaking heat wave swept through the city, and temperatures in the stadium reached a heat index of 138 degrees Fahrenheit. Swift postponed her Saturday night show because of the extreme temperatures. 

Fans complained of oppressive heat in the stadium and limited access to water. There were reports that other fans fainted in the extreme heat.

 

 

The department said the investigation is not connected to Machado’s death. Rio’s Municipal Health Department said the woman passed out during the second song of Swift's set and experienced cardiorespiratory arrest, but the exact cause of her death is not yet known.

Fans of the star, self-described Swifties, flooded social media with the phrase “T4F EXIGIMOS RESPEITO” after Machado’s death, which, translated from Portuguese, means “T4F WE DEMAND RESPECT.” In many posts on X, they called on T4F to make sure there was access to water for ticket holders. 

Swift said in an Instagram story after the show that she was “overwhelmed by grief” over Machado’s death. 

T4F said on social media after Friday’s show that fans would be able to enter the next two performances with water bottles and some sealed foods. 

Swift is scheduled to play three more shows this weekend in São Paulo, where fans will also be allowed to take some food and water into the venue.