Swifties reminded of Taylor Swift's worst fear after her Vienna 'Eras Tour' concerts are canceled
VIENNA, AUSTRIA: After Taylor Swift's highly anticipated 'Eras Tour' Vienna concerts were abruptly canceled due to security concerns, Swifties recalled her 2019 revelation about her greatest fear. The incident has brought her anxiety about performing in front of millions of fans into the spotlight.
Swift's comments, made in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing and the Las Vegas concert shooting, revealed the deep anxieties she faced about going on tours.
The cancellation of her August 8, 9, and 10 shows at Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion was announced just a day before the shows after police arrested two men suspected of plotting terror attacks at major events, including Swift's 'Eras Tour'.
I would just like to remind everyone here that Taylor Swift told us in 2019 - before LoverFest was canceled - that her biggest fear was physical violence and being unable to keep herself or her fans safe. pic.twitter.com/19uPa9cjNY
— Doha Madani 🩵 (@DohaMadani) August 7, 2024
Taylor Swift once revealed her worst fear
In 2019, Taylor Swift opened up in an Elle column about her deep-seated fears of hosting large crowds in arenas "after the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting".
Reflecting on her anxieties before her 'Lover Fest', which was ultimately canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 'Shake It Off' singer admitted, "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."
“There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe,” she noted.
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Following the May 2017 bombing at Ariana Grande’s Manchester concert, which claimed 22 lives and injured hundreds of fans, and the Las Vegas shooting that killed 58 people at an outdoor festival five months later, Swift’s fear of violence began to seep into her personal life.
The 'Bad Blood' singer started carrying “army-grade bandage dressing” for potential gunshot or stab wounds and her heightened anxiety was exacerbated by the availability of her personal information online.
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“You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things,” she said, according to PageSix.
Despite her fears, the 'Ready For It' star strives to focus on the positive aspects of the world, holding onto the love she has experienced and her faith in humanity. “We have to live bravely in order to truly feel alive, and that means not being ruled by our greatest fears,” she concluded.
taylor talking about her biggest fear: "i was completely terrified to go on tour [...] because i didn't know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe."
— taylor (@wishescametrue) August 7, 2024
5 years later she has to cancel multiple shows due to planned violence. pic.twitter.com/o5CFRsUyzc
Swift is currently on the international leg of her 'Eras Tour' and is set to perform in London beginning August 15.
Austrian authorities prevented Taylor Swift’s biggest fear
Austrian authorities successfully prevented Taylor Swift’s greatest fear from becoming reality by thwarting a planned terrorist attack, on Wednesday, August 7. Franz Ruf, the Director-General for Public Safety in the Ministry of the Interior, announced that two individuals with ISIS ties were arrested for plotting to target one of Swift’s three Vienna shows.
One suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian, had his home searched, where police found various chemicals and substances. The second suspect’s identity and age remain undisclosed. Ruf stated that both suspects had radicalized online and pledged allegiance to ISIS’s leader last month.
Details about the planned attack have not been released. Consequently, all three of Swift’s Vienna concerts, each expected to draw over 65,000 fans, were canceled. The event organizer has confirmed that ticket holders will receive automatic refunds, though it is unclear if Swift will reschedule the shows. The 14-time Grammy winner has not yet commented on the situation.
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