Taylor Swift finally addressed the foiled terrorist attack targeting her Eras Tour shows in Vienna after wrapping up her European leg at Wembley Stadium in London.
“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,” she posted on Instagram Wednesday.
“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”
The pop star, 34, also explained why she decided to stay silent immediately following the terrifying incident.
“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,” Swift continued.
“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.”
She added that she and her team “worked hand in hand” with British authorities and stadium staff to achieve that goal.
This is the first time the “Fortnight” singer has spoken out about the scary situation, which unfolded earlier this month.
Swift was expected to play back-to-back shows at Austria’s Ernst Happel Stadium from Aug. 8 to Aug. 10 but they were canceled at the last minute due to the violent threat.
One day before the concerts began, Barracuda Music announced that all three shows were canceled following the arrest of several people with ISIS connections.
“With confirmation from the government officials of a planned terrorist attack … we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” the statement, shared on Instagram, read.
That same day, Franz Ruf — the director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior — revealed authorities intercepted a terrorist plot and brought a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, a 17-year-old and a 15-year-old into custody.
Ruf said the suspects became radicalized online and pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State last month.
Police raided the 19-year-old’s home and found various chemicals and substances inside, according to Austrian news outlet Kronen Zeitung.
The suspects, who still lived with their parents, were reportedly planning to drive a bomb-filled car into the crowd outside the stadium.
At least one of the suspects was reportedly hired to work security inside the venue and allegedly planned to murder concertgoers with self-made explosives and machetes.
Despite the threat, fans still gathered in the streets of Vienna singing Swift’s songs and trading friendship bracelets, an Eras Tour tradition.
However, the “All Too Well” singer was not seen or heard from until Aug. 12, when she threw a wrap party for her team in London.
Swift played her final five shows on the European leg of her international tour at Wembley Stadium, with her last concert being on Aug. 20.
She now has two months off before continuing the record-breaking tour in Miami on Oct. 18. The nearly two-year tour will finally conclude with three back-to-back shows in Vancouver, Canada, in December.
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Source: USA Today
