Taylor Swift breaks silence after canceling Vienna concerts due to terror threat

FOR the last leg of her “Eras” tour, Taylor Swift had planned to hold three concerts in Vienna. The New York Times reports that over 200, 000 fans from all over the world were expected to attend. 

However, Barracuda Music, the promoter for the Vienna shows, canceled the shows in coordination with Taylor’s management. This decision came following a terror attack that was planned to be executed during the concerts. 

In their post, Barracuda Music wrote: “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.”

They explained that all tickets would be refunded. The same notice can be seen on Taylor’s official website.

CNN Entertainment reports that there were three suspects found, ages 19, 17, and 15 respectively. They have since been detained by authorities.

During a press conference, it was explained that those arrested had been in contact with other people who knew of their plans and had also shown changes in behavior prior to being arrested.

The 19-year-old suspect had planned to detonate a device within the venue’s perimeter, reported Franz Ruf, the public security director of Austria’s Interior Ministry. Chemical substances and technical devices had also been found in his home, reports NPR. 

Billboard reports that I.S. and al-Qaida materials were also found at the home of the 17-year-old suspect, who’d also been hired by a company that would be providing services at the venue prior to the concert.

The 15-year-old, on the other hand, is believed not to have been an active participant but was aware of the plan and its details. 

Prior to this, he had posted online an oath of allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group militia.

While fans were devastated with the news, they understood and wholly supported Taylor and her management’s decision. 

Taylor speaks up

In a recent Instagram post, Taylor wrote: “Having our Vienna shows canceled 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 continued on to say that she was heartened by the love and unity she saw in her fans as they banded together, and hoped to dedicate her energy to protecting the almost half a million people that had planned to come to her London shows.

“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 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.”