Taylor Swift appears emotional as she returns to Eras Tour stage after fan’s tragic death

Taylor Swift appeared emotional as she resumed her Eras Tour following the tragic death of one of her fans.

Ana Benevides, 23, was among thousands of fans who attended the show at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos on Friday in temperatures which exceeded 100 degree Fahrenheit, or around 37C.

Benevides had fainted ahead of the show, and was rushed to hospital where she died after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Swift paid tribute to Benevides in a post on Instagram, writing: "I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with 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."

The singer added: "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.

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"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 thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil."

A subsequent performance in Rio was also postponed as a result of the intense heat and over concerns for safety.

Swift's performance on 20 November will now replace the postponed performance on Saturday, and Swift is also scheduled to perform in São Paulo between 24 November and 26 November.

Swift announced the show would be postponed just hours before it started, writing: "The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to and always will come first.”

But the singer was able to take to the stage on Sunday, with Reuters reporting that additional provision had been made to ensure that water was available for attendees during the performance.

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Swift could be seen to become visibly emotional during a performance of her song 'Bigger than the Whole Sky', which deals with loss.

While she did not directly say that the song was dedicated to Benevides, her post said that she would not be able to speak about it onstage leading some fans to think that this was her way of paying tribute.

The Eras Tour showcases Swift's catalogue through the different stages of her career, with Bloomberg reporting that the success of the tour saw Swift reach billionaire status.