Swift fans "down to earth" after concert cancellations
Due to the risk of an Islamist attack, all three planned Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna have been cancelled. Fans of the US superstar are torn between understanding and deep disappointment.
"Based on confirmation from government officials about a planned terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three planned shows for the safety of all," Taylor Swift's concert promoter, Barracuda Music, announced on Instagram yesterday. The sold-out concerts were scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Vienna as part of Swift's "Eras" tour through Europe.
The cancellation is a shock to thousands of Swifties who have been eagerly awaiting the performances for nearly a year and have traveled from around the world to see their idol live. "I've never cried so much over anything," writes a fan on TikTok, posting a video of herself with makeup stained with tears. She had been preparing for the concert for a year, she explains.
"I'm devastated. I've been looking forward to this for over a year," writes another Swiftie from Vienna on X. "I made all the bracelets. Taylor Swift is in my hometown - and now it's not happening. I have no words. She'll never come back to Vienna. That's just it. It meant so much to me. I really wanted to go to this concert."
"I'm sitting in a Vienna hotel room trying to process that the Taylor Swift concert I've been looking forward to for a year and flew halfway around the world for has been cancelled," laments another fan on X. "My heart is broken," another Swiftie sums up the prevailing mood.
Swifties show global solidarity
Taylor Swift's fans are rallying together, with comments of support and solidarity quickly appearing under the tweets and TikTok videos. "So sorry for everyone" and "Stay strong" are among the messages.
Another action, in which fans express their support and solidarity with the Vienna Swifties, is already going viral. They want to stream the Swift song "Long Live," dedicated to her community, so much that it re-enters the charts.
However, some Swifties do understand the concert cancellation. A German fan who traveled to Austria and only found out about the cancellation at the arena explains in one of the many videos: "I think it's the right decision. It could have been very dangerous."
Each concert night could have seen 65,000 fans watching Swift live in the stadium. Vienna's police chief, Gerhard Pürstl, also estimates that around 20,000 fans without tickets would have come to the arena to hear their idol's music from afar. The promoter has announced that ticket prices will be refunded in the coming days.
On Wednesday, two terror suspects were arrested in Austria. The main suspect is a 19-year-old Austrian citizen. According to police, he planned attacks in the Vienna area, with his focus on the Taylor Swift concerts. The young man had radicalized himself on the internet and pledged allegiance to the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) a few weeks ago.
Swift has long feared terrorist attacks.
Taylor Swift herself has not yet commented on the planned terror attack and concert cancellations on her social media platforms. In 2019, she wrote an article for "Elle" magazine, stating that after the attack at Ariana Grande's concert on May 22, 2017, in Manchester, where 22 young fans of the singer died when an Islamic extremist detonated a bomb, she had "great fear" of going back on tour. She didn't know "how to protect three million fans for seven months." Swift then invested "enormous effort, planning, and cost" to ensure no one gets hurt at her live performances. "My fear of violence has also affected my personal life. I carry a QuikClot arm band, intended for gunshot or stab wounds," she explained at the time.
Despite the cancellation, Swifties continue to show their support for Taylor Swift and affected fans by actively promoting her song "Long Live" on streaming platforms. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, a German fan who planned to attend the concerts accepts the concert cancellation as a necessary safety measure.
