Taylor Swift is scared of attacks at her concerts again.
In the wake of a terrorist plot leading to the cancellation of Taylor Swift’s shows, an old interview where she expressed her biggest fear has resurfaced. The Grammy-winning artist was forced to cancel three shows in Vienna on Aug. 7 due to the arrest of suspects planning a terrorist attack on the concerts this weekend.
Swift’s concerns about such events were revealed in a 2019 article for Elle, where she openly discussed her anxiety about performing live following the tragic incidents at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester and the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas.
The Manchester attack resulted in 22 fatalities and over 200 injuries, while the Las Vegas shooting claimed 64 lives and left 413 wounded. Swift mentioned in her article, “My biggest fear after the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, 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 further expressed, “My fear of violence has continued into my personal life,” revealing that she carried a QuikClot army-grade bandage dressing for gunshot or stab wounds. Unfortunately, her fears have now been validated by the recent events in Vienna.
On Aug. 7, Austrian police confirmed the arrest of two suspects planning a terrorist attack on Swift’s concerts at the Ernst Happel Stadium. One suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, had reportedly been radicalized online and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in July
Austrian Director General for Public Safety Franz Ruf stated, “The suspects were focused on the Taylor Swift concerts. We discovered that he was taking action to prepare for the attack. A clear threat has been averted.” Consequently, Barracuda Music, the concert promoters, had to cancel the shows scheduled for August 8-10.
A statement from Barracuda Music, also shared by Taylor Nation on Instagram, confirmed the cancellation due to a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, ensuring the safety of everyone involved. All tickets will be refunded within the next 10 business days.
The Vienna shows were meant to be the second-to-last stop on Swift’s European leg of The Eras Tour before her performances at London’s Wembley Stadium. She is set to return to North America in October for the final leg of her tour, concluding at the end of the year. However, the Vienna cancellations have overshadowed what has otherwise been a successful tour.
