Taylor Swift breaks silence on 'devastating' alleged Vienna terrorist plot
Taylor Swift has broken her silence on the alleged terrorist plot thwarted at her canceled Vienna shows earlier this month.
The pop star, who performed the last of five shows at London's Wembley stadium Tuesday, paid tribute to the end of the European leg of her Eras Tour in an Instagram post Wednesday. In a lengthy caption, she let fans know that it was for their safety that she waited until this moment to address the Vienna situation.
"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," Swift wrote in the caption. "But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives."
She continued: "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. 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," she wrote.
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"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."
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Three people have been arrested in relation to the suspected terrorist plot that had been planned for one of Swift's Vienna shows on Aug. 8-10. The suspects are an 18-year-old Iraqi national, a 19-year-old Austrian living in a town near the Hungarian border, and a 17-year-old boy hired by a company that was to provide services to the Ernst Happel Stadium.
On Aug. 7, the three scheduled shows at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium were canceled after the Vienna Federal Ministry of the Interior officials confirmed arrests were made in relation to "planned attacks at major events." These were the first shows to be canceled on the tour, which launched in March 2023.
The Eras Tour is nearing its end after a year and a half and nearly 130 shows. Swift will return to North America in the fall and winter to perform in Miami (Oct. 18-20), New Orleans (Oct. 25-27), Indianapolis (Nov. 1-3), Toronto (Nov. 14-16, 21-23) and Vancouver (Dec. 6-8).
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Read Taylor Swift's full statement on canceled Vienna shows:
"In summation," her Aug. 21 Instagram caption began.
"We have officially wrapped the European leg of The Eras Tour. 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. 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.
"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. 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.
"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.
"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.
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"We had some EPIC surprise performances from my long time friends @teddysphotos, @florenceandthemachine, and @jackantonoff. Performing ‘Florida!!!’ with Flo for the first time was unforgettable and Ed took me right back to our old Red Tour memories. It was the most dizzying honor to become the first solo artist to play Wembley 8 times in one tour.
"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. 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…"
