Fans of Taylor Swift are feeling shaken by the terrorist threat that caused the cancellation of three of her Eras Tour concerts in Vienna last week, as they gear up for Swift’s London shows this week.
Three teen male suspects were arrested in connection with the thwarted terrorist plot, which one suspect admitted included driving a car through concertgoers gathering outside the venue, as well as using knives and self-made explosive devices in an effort to kill as many people as possible. At least one suspect was reported to have pledged his allegiance to ISIS prior to planning the attack. As a precaution, concert organizers canceled the shows following the debacle, as potential threats may have still loomed.
Disappointed fans in Austria were treated to a free Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour viewing on Saturday, after Disney+ partnered with Austrian cable station ORF to play Swift’s concert film on local television, and offered free trials to fans to watch to their heart’s desire for seven days.
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Despite concern that the London shows might meet the same fate as the canceled shows in Austria, the concerts are going ahead as planned. However, some fans with tickets to the Wembley Stadium shows in London on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week told Reuters they were “scared” and considered selling their tickets after hearing of the plot, but are largely committed to attending the sold out shows.
That said, some are sharing the precautions they’re taking with other Swifties online. One person wrote on TikTok that they’re opting out of wearing heels so they can “quickly escape” if necessary, while others shared they were keeping their emergency contact number in their shoe and bringing medical supplies like compressed gauze in case of injury. Anxiety surrounding Swift’s concerts in London was also heightened following a stabbing attack at a Swift-themed dance class that left three children dead and several injured.
London police will be on high alert and additional security measures will be employed, authorities told ABC News, including plainclothes and uniformed police officers, dogs, explosives detection, and intelligence gathering by government agencies ahead of the shows. “Tay-gating,” a term fans use to describe gathering outside Swift’s venues during concerts, has been strictly prohibited at the Wembley Stadium, according to its website, which reads, “no one is allowed to stand outside any entrance or on the Olympic Steps at the front of the stadium.”
The same rule was in place when Swift played the stadium in June, but is likely to be more strictly enforced following the thwarted terrorist plot.
“There is nothing to indicate that the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have an impact on upcoming events here in London,” a spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police stated last week.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan added that while Vienna had “its own reasons for deciding to cancel the Taylor Swift concerts,” he planned to “carry on working closely with police, ensuring that the concerts can take place in London safely.” He added, “We’ve got a huge amount of experience in policing these events. We are never complacent. Many lessons were learned after the awful Manchester Arena attack,” referring to the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that left 22 people dead and dozens more injured.
Two years after that horrific event, Swift told ELLE magazine that her “biggest fear” was something similar happening at one of her shows.
“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 said at the time. “There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe.”
“My fear of violence has continued into my personal life,” she continued. “I carry QuikClot army grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds. Websites and tabloids have taken it upon themselves to post every home address I’ve ever had online. You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things. Every day I try to remind myself of the good in the world, the love I’ve witnessed and the faith I have in humanity. We have to live bravely in order to truly feel alive, and that means not being ruled by our greatest fears.”
