Second Taylor Swift fan dies in Brazil after stabbing, as heatwave leaves 1 dead

Taylor Swift performs in Buenos Aires, Argentina, amid the South America leg of her Eras world tour. Photo / AP

Another Taylor Swift fan has reportedly died in Brazil, fatally stabbed after travelling to Rio de Janeiro to attend an Eras Tour concert.

Gabriel Milhomem Santos, 25, was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning in an attempted robbery, before the show scheduled for that evening at Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium.

The New York Times reports Swift postponed Saturday night’s show at the last minute after a fan, Ana Clara Benevides, 23, died in a heatwave on Friday night in the packed stadium. On Saturday, thousands of fans had already flocked to the stadium for the show.

According to police, there was unrest as the crowds left the stadium, and Santos was found dead on Copacabana beach, where he had been with friends, the next morning. Two men have reportedly been arrested since then.

Santos was reportedly wearing a “Swifties” friendship bracelet. According to family members, he will be buried in his home state of Mato Gross do Sul wearing the outfit he made especially for the concert.

It’s the second tragedy to hit the country during Swift’s three-day visit to Rio, as temperatures skyrocketed to near 59C.

The pop superstar shared an Instagram story before her planned Saturday show, notifying her followers the second of three Eras Tour concerts at Estadio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will not go on as planned.

Taylor Swift shared the update on her Instagram story. Photo / Instagram

Swift stated the reason behind the decision was “extreme temperatures in Rio”, which are said to have been the cause of a fan’s tragic death at the concert the day before.

“I’m writing this from my dressing room in the stadium,” Swift shared on Instagram in a handwritten note. “The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio.

“The safety and wellbeing of my fans, fellow performers and crew has to and will always come first.”

Swift paid tribute to the young woman who had died in the heatwave, writing on her Instagram page hours after the concert, “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.

“I’m not going to be able to speak about this from the 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.”

International media reported the woman who died was Ana Clara Benevides, 23, who fainted in the front row of the concert, which was performed in excessive heat.

She reportedly died after suffering a cardiac arrest.