By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
Taylor Swift has addressed the cancellation of her three Vienna concerts on her Eras tour, which were scrapped earlier this month following the discovery of a planned terrorist attack. In her first public comment since the incident, Swift expressed a "new sense of fear" and "tremendous amount of guilt" over the situation.
The plot, foiled by Austrian authorities, involved three teenage suspects aged 17, 18, and 19 who were allegedly planning an Islamist attack with the concerts as their target. The 19 year old suspect reportedly intended to carry out the attack in the near future and had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS). Authorities found bomb making materials at his residence.
In a recent Instagram post marking the end of the tour's European leg, Swift shared her emotional response to the cancellations. She expressed gratitude to the authorities for preventing a potential tragedy, stating, "Thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives." Swift also thanked her fans for their support and reassured them that her focus had been on ensuring the safety of the London shows, which followed the Vienna cancellations.
Swift acknowledged the reason for her prior silence, describing it as a form of restraint and careful timing. She emphasized her priority of concluding the European leg of the tour safely and expressed relief at achieving that goal.
The Vienna concerts, scheduled for August 8 to 10 at the Ernst Happel Stadium, were initially considered feasible with enhanced security but were eventually cancelled due to an "abstract danger," according to Vienna police chief Gerhard Purstl. Swift will resume her tour in North America in November and December, concluding with Canadian performances. The Eras tour, the highest grossing tour in history, has generated over $1 billion and has been noted for its significant impact.
