Taylor Swift has spoken out for the first time about the cancellation of her Eras tour in Vienna. The shows were due to take place earlier this month but were forced to be cancelled by authorities after a terrorist attack was foiled. The singer said she was experiencing a “new sense of fear” and “enormous guilt” over what happened.
Austrian authorities uncovered a plot and arrested three teenagers, aged 17, 18 and 19, who were allegedly planning an Islamist terrorist attack against Swift’s concerts. The 19-year-old suspect declared his allegiance to ISIS and stored explosive chemicals in 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 fear and a huge sense of guilt because so many people were planning to come to these shows, but I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them we were mourning concerts, not lives.”
She thanked her fans for their “love and unity” and highlighted the efforts made to ensure the safety of the London concerts, following the cancelled shows in Vienna: “My team and I have been working hand in hand with the stadium staff and the British authorities every day, striving to achieve this goal.”
Swift acknowledged her two-week silence following the incident in Vienna, saying it was a “show of restraint” and that she was “waiting for the moment to speak out.” She concluded: “My priority was to complete our European tour safely and it’s a huge relief to have done so.”
The Vienna concerts, which were to take place from 8 to 10 August at the Ernst Happel Stadium, had initially been planned with additional security, but were later cancelled due to an “abstract danger”.
Swift will return to North America in November and December to conclude her Eras tour.
Cursor previously wrote how many Israelis bought tickets for Taylor Swift’s show in Vienna.
