2024-08-26 18:19:35
Taylor Swift has spoken out for the first time about the cancellation of her Vienna concerts on her Eras tour, which were due to take place earlier this month but were forced to be called off by authorities after a foiled terrorist attack. The singer said she felt a “new sense of fear” and “massive guilt” over what happened.
Austrian authorities have uncovered a plot and arrested three teenagers, aged 17, 18 and 19, who were allegedly planning an Islamist terrorist attack on Swift’s concerts. The 19-year-old suspect had declared his allegiance to ISIS and was storing chemicals for the bomb at his home.
In an Instagram post marking the end of her European tour, Swift called the cancellation of the Vienna shows “devastating” and shared her emotional state: “The reason for the cancellation filled me with a new sense of dread and an enormous sense of guilt because so many people were planning to come to these shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because they made it possible for us to mourn concerts, not lives.”
She thanked her fans for their “love and unity” and noted the efforts made to ensure the safety of the London concerts, which followed the cancelled Vienna shows: “My team and I have been working hand in hand with stadium staff and the British authorities every day towards this goal.”
Swift acknowledged her two-week silence following the Vienna incident, saying it was “an exercise in restraint” and that she was “waiting for a moment to express myself.” She concluded, “My priority was to safely complete our European tour, and I am so relieved to say that we did that.”
The Vienna concerts, which were scheduled to take place August 8-10 at the Ernst Happel Stadium, were originally planned with extra security but were then cancelled due to an “abstract danger”.
Swift will return to North America in November and December to complete her Eras tour.
Earlier, Cursor wrote about how many Israelis bought tickets to Taylor Swift’s show in Vienna.