Taylor Swift Meets Brazilian Fan's Family Prior to Concluding 'Eras Tour' Concert
Taylor Swift's heartfelt gesture: she meets with the family of a devoted fan, Ana Clara Benevides Machado, before her last 'Eras Tour' concert in Brazil A touching encounter that shows Taylor's genuine connection with her fans
Taylor Swift Kevin Winter/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
When Taylor Swift arrived in São Paulo for her final show, she took the time to meet with the family of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, a devoted fan who had passed away. The touching moment was captured in a photo that quickly spread on social media and news outlets, showing Swift posing with the family backstage. While the singer was dressed in her Eras Tour outfit, Machado's family members wore T-shirts bearing the late fan's face.
Machado, who was only 23 years old, passed away earlier this month before Swift’s November 17 concert in Rio de Janeiro.
"I can't believe I'm having to write this, but with a heavy heart, I want to say that we lost a fan tonight before my show," Swift shared on Instagram Stories after learning about the tragedy. "I can't even express how devastated I am by this. I don't have much information, but I know she was incredibly beautiful and much too young."
Swift expressed being "overwhelmed with grief" as she tried to discuss the loss. "I want to convey how deeply I feel this loss and my heart aches for her family and friends," she added. "I never imagined this would happen when we planned to bring this tour to Brazil."
Taylor Swift Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
The artist made it clear that she couldn't address the fan's passing during her performance, but she paid tribute to Machado by subtly performing "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" from her 2022 Midnights album at the November 19 concert. It was later confirmed that Swift's team had made contact with the Machado family.
An insider revealed that she was deeply affected and found it difficult to discuss the situation. They also mentioned that Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, had been a great source of support for her.
Time4Fun, a local concert organizer, released a statement regarding Machado's passing the day after it occurred.
"On the night before her passing, Ana Clara began to feel unwell and was promptly attended to by the team of firefighters and paramedics. She was initially taken to the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos for first aid protocol," they shared in a statement on November 18. "However, due to the severity of her condition, the medical team made the decision to transfer her to Salgado Filho Hospital. Despite almost an hour of emergency care, she tragically passed away."
That same day, Machado’s father, Weiny Machado, spoke about losing his “happy and intelligent” daughter in a statement shared to local newspaper Folha de São Paulo.
The statement expressed the family's devastation at the loss of their daughter, who was set to graduate in Psychology the following April and had been saving money. "I have no words to express my pain," the statement said. "She left home to pursue her dreams and tragically returned home deceased."
The cause of Machado's death remains undisclosed. On November 24, NBC News disclosed that Brazilian authorities are conducting an investigation into Time4Fun for potentially endangering the lives and health of concert attendees by holding the Eras Tour during a severe heatwave.
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“Event organizers will be called to testify, and other steps are underway to investigate the facts,” a statement from the Civil Police Department of Rio de Janeiro shared.
Time4Fun CEO Serafim Abreu issued a statement on November 23 apologizing to fans who may not have had the best experience at the show. He acknowledged the responsibility of organizing such a large-scale event and reassured that every effort and resource was dedicated to ensuring the comfort and safety of all attendees by following the best global industry practices.
