Topline
Taylor Swift fans, some of whom traveled from thousands of miles away to see the singer perform in Vienna this weekend, gather in the city’s streets to sing and trade friendship bracelets after a foiled terror plot led to the cancelation of all three shows.
Swifties gathered to trade bracelets and sing in Vienna after all three of the singer’s shows in the … [+]
Key Facts
Swift fans posted videos to social media depicting a large crowd of fans gathered in Vienna’s Stephansplatz square on Thursday to sing some of Swift’s songs, including her 2012 hit “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “Long Live,” a cut from her 2010 album “Speak Now,” with many decked out in Swift merchandise.
Swifties also gathered on the Corneliusgasse street in Vienna—which bears resemblance to “Cornelia Street,” a Swift song named after a street in New York—where they gathered to trade friendship bracelets, a tradition observed by fans at Eras Tour shows, and hang them on trees.
A church located in Vienna, Lutherische Stadtkirche, offered fans a place to stay and listen to Swift’s music on Thursday, and one Swiftie shared a video on X of fans sitting in the pews while her hit “Style” plays.
Some fans shared how the cancelation disrupted their travel plans—including comedian Nikki Glaser, who posted a TikTok altering the lyrics to Swift’s “Cruel Summer” describing how she found out the shows were canceled just before her flight to Vienna.
Fans sang Swift’s songs on the strets of Vienna. (Photo by ROLAND SCHLAGER / APA / AFP) / Austria … [+]
Large crowds gathered in Vienna on Thursday. (Photo by ROLAND SCHLAGER / APA / AFP) / Austria OUT … [+]
Fans hung friendship bracelets on a tree in Vienna. (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader)
Fans sang Swift’s hits in Vienna. (Photo by ROLAND SCHLAGER / APA / AFP) / Austria OUT (Photo by … [+]
Swifties gathered to sing Swift’s music in Vienna. (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader)
Swifties trade bracelets in Vienna. (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader)
News Peg
Swift’s Vienna concerts, which were scheduled to take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, were canceled Wednesday, concert promoter Barracuda Music said in a statement posted to Instagram. Austrian authorities arrested two men who had planned a terrorist attack targeting the shows, including a 19-year-old who had allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS, Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf said. Authorities told the Associated Press the suspects had confessed they planned to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue” by using explosives and knives.
What To Watch For
Swift’s next Eras Tour stop is a string of five shows at London’s Wembley Stadium starting Aug. 15, though Variety reported the venue is increasing security. U.K. policing minister Diana Johnson said police will look “at all the intelligence” and “risk assess” ahead of Swift’s London shows. London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Sky News Thursday the shows will “carry on, working closely with police ensuring that the Taylor Swift concerts can take place in London safely.”
Surprising Fact
Swift told Elle in 2019 she was “completely terrified” to embark on her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour because of her “fear of violence,” citing an attack by a suicide bomber on a 2017 Ariana Grande concert in Manchester that killed 22 people and injured hundreds more. “I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months,” Swift told Elle. She said her fear of violence has led her to carry “QuikClot army grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds.” She told Elle she has started “prepping for bad things” because of stalkers she has faced. A stalker who had reportedly made threats to both Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce was arrested in Germany before her Eras Tour shows in the country last month.
Further Reading
Taylor Swift’s Austria Shows Canceled Over Terror Plot — Here’s What We Know (Forbes)
Officials say suspects in foiled plot at Taylor Swift shows hoped to kill as many people as possible (Associated Press)
Conor Murray is a reporter covering trends in entertainment and culture. He is based in Jersey City and joined Forbes in 2022. Murray has covered the messy rollout for Kanye West’s latest album, the Stanley water bottle craze and right-wing backlash against companies deemed “woke.” He previously covered billionaires with the Forbes wealth team and covered pop culture and TikTok trends for NBC News. He graduated with a degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. Follow Murray for continued coverage of social media trends, celebrity controversies and the movie and music industries.
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