Fans Feel ‘Relieved’ After Taylor Swift Concert Canceled
Taylor Swift fans expressed gratitude to Austrian authorities for promptly uncovering a terrorist plot targeting the venue of The Eras Tour concert.
According to CNN on August 8th, many of Taylor Swift’s fans (known as Swifties) had traveled from around the world to Vienna, the capital of Austria, for The Eras Tour, which was scheduled to take place on the nights of August 8-10. However, Barracuda Music, the event’s organizer, announced the concert’s cancellation after authorities discovered a terrorist plot aimed at the Ernst Happel Stadium, where the show was to be held. Ticket holders will receive automatic refunds within the next 10 days.
Many fans supported the organizer’s decision. Tiffany Kidd, a 41-year-old nurse from Arizona, USA, told CNN that she had been planning for the concert for a whole year. Kidd bought her ticket last summer and even got her passport for her first international trip. She spent around $5,000 (over 125 million VND) on a 13-hour flight to Vienna and prepared several outfits inspired by Taylor Swift. Upon hearing the news of the concert’s cancellation, Kidd said she was “a little shocked” but relieved that everyone would be safe.
Kardelen Kocakcigil, a 30-year-old fan, said she was glad the authorities acted in time to protect everyone from what could have been a tragedy. However, she couldn’t hide her disappointment after a 24-hour journey from Toronto, Canada, via Istanbul, Turkey, to Vienna, only to find out she couldn’t see her idol. She spent around $2,100 (about 52 million VND) on travel expenses, including extra baggage fees for her concert outfits.
Before the cancellation was announced, Denis Savić, 23, from the Czech Republic, initially thought it was a prank by his friends. He was terrified when he realized the terrorist threat was real and felt relieved that the concerts were canceled, as his close family and friends had planned to attend the concert with him. According to Savić, the ticket holders he knows are now struggling to adjust their plans.
On August 7th, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he understood the decision to cancel the show was “a bitter disappointment” for fans, but the situation was very serious because the terrorists had a clear plan. “Thanks to the close cooperation between the police and the newly established Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) and foreign agencies, the threat was detected early and prevented,” he said in the post.
The singer has not yet commented on the cancellation of the show in Austria. Swift is scheduled to perform at Wembley Stadium in England from August 15-20. This is not the first time the singer has had to cancel a show due to security concerns. In 2014, her Red Tour concert in Thailand was canceled due to political unrest.
Concerts in Europe have often been targeted by attacks in recent years. In 2015, gunmen opened fire at the Bataclan theater in Paris, killing at least 130 people. Two years later, a bombing occurred at a concert by American singer Ariana Grande in Manchester, killing 22 people.
