By Riham Alkousaa
BERLIN (Reuters) – Taylor Swift fans turned to social media on Thursday, grappling with sorrow, anger, and disbelief after the singer’s three Vienna concerts were abruptly cancelled following the Austrian government’s confirmation of a planned attack at the venue.
Some 195,000 fans in total were expected for the concerts at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, with many having travelled from abroad for a chance to see the pop superstar live.
“One year of excitement is gone in one second,” lamented a fan in response to the organizer’s Instagram message cancelling the concerts, less than 24 hours before the first was due to begin.
The post gained over 5,500 responses, ranging from understanding to outrage, with many urging Swift to address her fans directly and reschedule her shows in the Austrian capital.
“Please reschedule Vienna, your silence is just heartbreaking,” another fan wrote. The 34-year-old singer-songwriter has yet to issue a public statement.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Kanner expressed understanding for the decision to cancel, emphasizing, “I repeat, this has prevented a tragedy.”
Austrian police on Wednesday detained two people suspected of plotting attacks. The main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian who has North Macedonian roots, had allegedly masterminded a plot to attack Swift fans in Vienna with a bomb or knife and had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group, authorities said on Thursday.
He made a full confession in custody, Austria’s general director for public security Franz Ruf told a news conference.
Swift has previously spoken about her fears regarding safety on tour, especially in light of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing that killed 22 and the Las Vegas shooting that claimed 60 lives.
“I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months,” she shared in a 2019 interview with Elle magazine, revealing that her fear of violence had made her carry military-grade bandages for emergencies.
Barracuda Music, the concert organizer, said all tickets would be automatically refunded within 10 days. However, for many fans who had travelled from afar, the reimbursement fell short of covering their expenses.
“What are the people that have spent thousands of dollars to see her in Vienna supposed to do!?,” one frustrated fan commented on the singer’s Taylor Nation’s Instagram, which has over nine million followers. Others expressed a mix of gratitude for their safety and disbelief at the situation.
Tracy Jo Clark Neusser said she was shocked and devastated after flying from the United States for the concert.
“We would never be able to afford the trip back again even if she does reschedule,” Neusser wrote on Instagram, asking how she could get a poster for the cancelled concert.
“It would certainly be a story on our wall, even if it’s an unfortunate one. Gonna just have to believe everything happens for a reason,” she added.
(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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