Taylor Swift has shared for the first time how she felt about her three Vienna shows being cancelled due to a foiled terror attack, saying they “filled me with a new sense of fear”.
The pop star was scheduled to hold three shows in Vienna from 8 to 10 August at the Ernst Happel Stadium as part of her record-breaking Eras tour. The concerts were all cancelled after Austrian authorities uncovered and arrested three suspects, aged 17, 18, and 19.
According to reports, the suspects were planning “to kill as many people as possible” at the shows, which expected 65,000 people to attend inside the venue and a further 30,000 outside.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, celebrating the tour’s European leg which wrapped on Tuesday with her shows in London’s Wembley Stadium, Swift wrote about the “rollercoaster of emotions” she felt.
“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,” the 34-year-old singer wrote.
“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.
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“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.”
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Explaining why she stayed silent on the terror threats, Swift said she believed doing so might “provoke those who would want to harm the fans”.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
The 19-year-old Austrian was the main suspect and was “clearly radicalised in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels”, security officials said.
Austrian security officials alleged that the 19-year-old and 17-year-old wanted to commit an attack outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using knives or self-made explosives.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer defended the decision to cancel the Vienna concerts, and stressed that it was a necessary precaution.
“I understand very well that those who wanted to experience the concert live are very sad,” Nehammer said at a press conference.
“Mums and dads are looking after their daughters and sons, who were full of enthusiasm and anticipation for this concert. But it’s also important that in such serious moments as now, it’s inevitable that safety comes first.”
Swift went on to perform her London shows from 17 to 20 August, bringing on British singer Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine to perform the first live rendition of “Florida!” and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff to sing an acoustic duet of 2019’s “Death by a Thousand Cuts” and 2017’s “Getaway Car” on the final day.
Swift will next perform in Miami from 18 to 20 October at the Hard Rock Stadium.
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