MUSIC
What did Taylor Swift say about her shows in Vienna being canceled after terrorist threat was uncovered?
Taylor Swift described having to cancel shows in Vienna as devastating in a post wrapping up her experience in Europe during the Eras Tour.
Earlier this month, authorities canceled all three of Taylor Swift’s scheduled concerts at Vienna’s Ernst-Happel-Stadion due to a possible terrorist attack. After several weeks, the singer finally spoke out about the matter.
Through her Instagram account, Swift shared a message about the end of the European concerns of the Eras Tour. In the same post, she addressed what happened in Vienna.
“Going on stage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions. The cancellation of our shows in Vienna 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 to come to those shows,” she noted.
“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,” said the singer.
Taylor Swift defends her decision not to speak out about the issue earlier
Some fans and social media users criticized the singer for remaining silent for several weeks. In the post, Swift defended her decision and explained that her secrecy was in part to protect future venues from not being potential targets.
“Let me be very clear: I will not speak about something publicly if I believe that doing so might provoke those who want to do harm to the fans who come to my shows,” she shared.
“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.”
What happened in Vienna?
Two men have been arrested for planning an alleged terror attack at one of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna, Austria. Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Purstl said the men had met and radicalized each other online and had specific and detailed plans on how to carry out an attack.
After the arrest was made, authorities reported finding “chemical substances” at the residence of one of the men. After the attack was foiled, three concerts scheduled for the city were canceled. Authorities have begun an investigation into the matter.