"Feeling of fear" Taylor Swift breaks her silence
Several of the US superstar's concerts in Austria were canceled due to plans for an attack. Two weeks later, Taylor Swift is now speaking out for the first time - and explains why she has remained silent until now.
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- Taylor Swift has spoken out for the first time about the cancellation of her Vienna concerts following a planned terrorist attack and thanked the authorities.
- She explains that the safety of the fans was important and that she therefore waited to make a statement.
- Swift brought the European leg of her tour to an emotional close in London.
Superstar Taylor Swift has spoken emotionally for the first time about the cancellation of her concerts in Vienna. Her performances there were canceled at short notice two weeks ago because Islamists were said to be planning a terrorist attack. Since then, fans have been waiting for the US musician herself to make a statement - now the 34-year-old has published a long message on Instagram.
The cancellation of the gigs was devastating, Swift explained. "The reason for the cancellations has created a new sense of anxiety in me and a lot of guilt because so many people had planned to come to the shows."
"But I was also so grateful to the authorities, because thanks to them we were mourning concerts and not lives," Swift continued. She was encouraged by the love and unity of the fans. After the cancellation in Austria, Swift played five sold-out concerts in London. She wanted to put all her energy into helping to protect the people there.
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"Let me be clear: I will not speak publicly about something if I think it might provoke those who want to harm the fans who come to my shows," Swift wrote. In a case like this, "silence" means holding back and waiting for the right time to speak out.
Her priority had been to finish the European leg of her tour safely and it was with great relief that she could say she had succeeded, wrote Swift, who played her last concert of the "Eras" tour for the time being in front of around 90,000 people at London's Wembley Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Two weeks ago, two suspected sympathizers of the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) were arrested in Austria. According to the police, one of them had planned to carry out an attack at one of the Taylor Swift concerts outside the stadium. The concerts in Vienna were canceled.
"A rollercoaster of emotions"
"Going on stage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions," Swift wrote. The audience was passionate, exuberant and full of joy. The energy in the stadium was like a huge hug from 92,000 people and gave her back her calm. London felt like a wonderful dream sequence.
The last concert in London felt like a huge, peaceful celebration, with fans even giving friendship bracelets to police officers and security guards. Swift performed for three and a half hours and ended the concert with a shower of confetti and fireworks. Some Swifties collected the confetti from the floor as a memento.
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Precisely because Swift is known for her special relationship with her fans, some were surprised that she had remained silent until now. Swift's "Eras" tour took her to several European countries this summer, including Germany.
She thanked the fans. "It was a dream to perform for you, dance with you and share these magical moments," Swift wrote. Now they need to rest before the tour continues in October. Concerts in the USA and Canada are scheduled for the fall.
