Can the universe just give Taylor Swift a break? Last Wednesday, Austrian authorities announced that three of her concerts in the capital, Vienna, had to be cancelled after fears of a terrorist attack.
Swift was set to perform three shows from Thursday to Saturday as part of her record-breaking “Eras” tour.
The US warned Austria of a plot by Islamic State sympathisers to “kill a large number of people”, leading to the concert cancellations and the arrest of three men. The trio planned a suicide attack that would have potentially killed hundreds.
The cancellation comes right after a horrendous crime took place in Southport, in the United Kingdom, where three little girls died after being stabbed by 17-year-old Axel Rudakabana. The girls were attending a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop held at the Hart Space, a community studio in the Meols Cop area of Southport. Their killing has sparked off racist, Islamophobic riots in several UK cities.
Bianca Capazorio and her three friends travelled from South Africa to attend the concert. She was at dinner when they got the news of the cancellation. “Our friend who had stayed behind messaged us about this, and initially, we thought it was fake news. It was only after we saw it on Taylor Nation (Swift’s official fan club) that we knew it was true.”
Although disappointed, hundreds of Swifties, as her fans are known, decided to shake it off and took to the streets of Vienna on Thursday. Capazorio and her friends headed to Stephansplatz, and at precisely 6 PM, which is when the concert would’ve started, the crowd, dressed up in their concert outfits, began to sing and exchange friendship bracelets. “People were singing and crying. It was beautiful and cathartic,” says Capazorio.
Most Swifties gathered at the Corneliusgasse in homage to the Swift song ‘Cornelia Street’ from her album, Lover.
Capazorio says she felt people all over Vienna were trying hard to make it easier for the Swifties. “A restaurant we went to gave us free burgers, and another gave away free coffee. Our hotel even had a “what to do instead” list,”
Although disappointed, Capazorio agrees with the decision to cancel the concert. “It was absolutely the right decision. We’re happy to be alive. It really was an incredible experience,” she concluded.
Swift hasn’t commented on the cancellation but has surprised fans in Austria with the free TV premiere of her tour movie, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version). Disney partnered with local cable station ORF to air the Disney+ film as a free premiere in Austria on Saturday night, 10 August. We’re so glad all the Swifties worldwide were safe and still got to experience the tour, albeit on a smaller scale.
