Earlier this month, three Taylor Swift concerts scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria, were canceled following a thwarted terrorist attack. The three shows were due to kick off at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, August 8, but on the evening of August 7, two people were arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack at the concert. A statement from the organizers read at the time: “Due to confirmation by government officials of a planned terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three planned shows for everyone's safety.
All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 working days." A third person was arrested in connection with the planned attack on August 9, and according to police, one of the suspects confessed to intending to “kill as many people as possible.” In addition to the estimated 65,000 Swifties who were due to attend each of Taylor’s shows, about 20,000 to 35,000 non-ticket holders were expected to gather outside the stadium each night.
After the concerts were canceled, fans gathered across the city to sing Taylor’s songs and swap friendship bracelets, with Austria’s chancellor, Karl Nehammer, directly addressing the disappointed fans over the government’s decision. “I understand very well that those who wanted to experience the concert live are very sad,” he said at the time. “Moms and dads are caring for their daughters and sons, who had been full of enthusiasm and excitement about this concert.
But it’s also important that in such serious moments like now, safety inevitably has to come first.” While fans have been refunded for their tickets, many have claimed that they only received 80% of the money they paid out back, with 20% apparently being kept as a “service fee.” A vast amount of fans were also left out of pocket from non-refundable travel and accommodation arrangements that they’d made for the shows.
Through all of this, Taylor remained silent. One week later, she took to the stage in London, England, where she concluded the European leg of her record-breaking tour with five consecutive nights at Wembley Stadium. Taylor’s silence was upsetting for some Vienna Swifties, and the star faced scrutiny for not commenting on the canceled shows.
But on Wednesday, the star broke her silence in an Instagram post . In it, she admitted to feeling “a tremendous amount of guilt” over Vienna, and explained that she didn’t want to comment until the European leg had been completed safely. Taylor spoke out as she shared a selection of photos from her Wembley concerts while reflecting on the European dates as a whole.
“We have officially wrapped the European leg of The Eras Tour,” she began. “With it came the most passionate crowds I’ve ever played for, new traditions in the show, and an entirely new era added in.” “It was a more hectic pace than we’d done before, and I’m so proud of my crew/fellow performers for being able to physically perform that show and build our massive stage, take it apart, and make magic with so few days in between for recovery and travel,” Taylor went on.
“They’re the most impressive people I know and I’m so lucky they gave The Eras Tour their time, their energy, and their expertise.” The star then added: “Walking onstage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions. Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating.
The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.” “I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together.
I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London,” Taylor explained. “My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.” “Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” Taylor then stated.
“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to.” “My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that,” she continued. “And then London felt like a beautiful dream sequence.
All five crowds at Wembley Stadium were bursting with passion, joy, and exuberance. The energy in that stadium was like the most giant bear hug from 92,000 people each night, and it brought me back to a place of carefree calm up there.” Taylor went on to shout out Ed Sheeran, Florence Welch, and Jack Antonoff for joining her on stage for surprise performances in London, and concluded the post with: “To the fans who have seen us this summer, you’ll always have the most sparkling place in my memories.
You were a dream to perform for, dance with, and share those magical moments with.” Referencing the next stop on her tour, which will be in Miami, Florida, in October, she added: “We’ll see you all again when we resume The Eras Tour in October, but for now we get to take a much needed rest. Thank you for the adventure of a lifetime.
May it continue...
” News of the foiled terrorist plot came just over one week after Taylor had issued an emotional statement after three children aged 6, 7, and 9 years old were killed at a yoga and dance workshop inspired by her music in Southport, England. Two adults and six more children were critically injured in the attack. The day after the attack, Taylor wrote on her Instagram story: “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously and I’m just completely in shock.
.. The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, and first responders.
” “These were just little kids at a dance class,” she went on. “I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.” And in November, 23-year-old Swiftie Ana Clara Benevides Machado tragically died while attending the star’s Eras tour in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Her cause of death is believed to be connected to the dangerous heatwave that was impacting Brazil during the show. Taylor wrote on Instagram at the time: “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 incredibly beautiful and far too young.” “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," she went on.
"I want to say now that I feel this loss deeply and my 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." Ana had flown to Rio from her small district of Sonora especially for Taylor’s concert, and after her heartbroken mom broke down in tears over the fact that the family couldn’t afford to fly her daughter’s body home, Swifties took it upon themselves to crowdfund the money that was needed.
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