On the brink of Taylor Swift‘s scheduled Eras Tour performances in Vienna from August 8-10th, authorities uncovered a terrorist plot orchestrated by radicalized Austrian teenagers. In response, organizers promptly cancelled the Grammy winner’s concerts in the city. Two weeks following the thwarted attack and subsequent cancelations, the “Cruel Summer” singer, 34, finally broke her silence, addressing the situation for the first time.
Her delayed response had previously incited a wave of criticism from fans, who labeled her silence as both “sickening” and “disappointing.” On August 21st, Swift wrote in an Instagram post: “Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating.” She added: “The reason for the cancelations 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.”
| Taylor’s statement on the end of the European tour and the canceled Vienna shows #TSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/AHrfTG1yYW
— Taylor Swift Updates (@TSwiftLA) August 21, 2024
Taylor Swift Finally Responds To Vienna Concert Cancelations After Intense Fan Backlash On Social Media
The “Anti-Hero” hitmaker continued, thanking authorities: “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.” Swift explained that she chose to hold off on speaking until the European segment of her Eras Tour was finished, placing a higher importance on safety. “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.
Swift went on: “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 then acknowledged her London shows this week.
"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," Swift wrote.
Following the wave of cancelations, Swift's team remained unresponsive to numerous inquiries from The Associated Press and other media outlets. Meanwhile, her social media accounts fell silent.
Concert organizer Barracuda Music announced the cancelation of the three-night performance series in Vienna, initially set to begin on August 8th, due to arrests linked to a conspiracy that occurred too close to the event.
Authorities reported that a 19-year-old suspect intended to attack spectators outside the Ernst Happel Stadium using knives or homemade explosives, aiming to inflict maximum casualties. Austrian officials suggested that the suspect was influenced by the ideologies of the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.
On August 6th, just one day before the cancelation was made public, the 19-year-old and another 17-year-old suspect were apprehended. A third suspect, aged 18, was detained on August 8th. The 19-year-old’s lawyer dismissed the allegations as extreme exaggerations, arguing that Austrian authorities were sensationalizing the threat to justify new surveillance measures.
Over the past few weeks, Swift's fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to slam her silence on the matter. With less than a day before the inaugural concert, the venue opted to cancel all three scheduled performances, assuring ticket holders of full refunds. However, fans who had journeyed to attend, taken leave from work, and reserved hotel accommodations would not be reimbursed for those additional costs.
As one user recently tweeted: "I really hope the whole silence from Taylor to Vienna is part of a bigger plan cause that PR management is completely out of character and simply so damaging to her and Taylor Swift. We are so disappointed in how this situation is handled. But we won't shut up."
Taylor Swift releases a statement on the Vienna shows through Instagram pic.twitter.com/BRvMPDb02Z
— Eras Tour Updates! (@ErasTourUpdates) August 21, 2024
Another added: "sorry but taylor not saying anything regarding vienna is making everything a thousand times worse. idgaf what anyone has to say. idc about the investigation. she doesn't have to apologise for anything but a simple / emoji in her story would've helped a lot."
An additional person concurred and mentioned that Swift's London performances occurred shortly after the canceled Vienna shows. "Look the fact that taylor swift is going to london a second time while my first and only show is canceled is okay but her silence on the vienna situation is really rubbing me the wrong way."
One other noted, regarding Swift's recent announcement of yet another version of The Tortured Poets Department: "taylor’s silence about vienna concerts is sickening. taking into consideration the recent new ttpd versions release - what an f—g clown show. is that the endless love and gratitude towards her fans she preaches about?"
Shortly after the pop star issued her statement, fans flocked to X to express their opinions. The response remained polarized, with many still debating her approach to the situation. "Tbf I still don’t understand how her saying something would have put people in danger," someone commented.
Another wrote: "shaming fans who were left shocked and scared in vienna, who tried to rally and make the best of it, who spent $100s or $1000s and did not recoup most of the costs, who just wanted a little closure and received very minimal info thru official channels is so unnecessary."
"We love you Taylor and you addressed this situation as perfectly as it needed to be. Didn’t rush a response and took the time to ensure everyone in Vienna was safe," another tweeted as one other Swiftie added: "taylor mentioned vienna. tbh as a person who had a ticket to one of those shows i’m always gonna be grateful that she didn’t risk our lives and i’ve always been sure that she’s gonna acknowledge the situation once the european leg over."
