Taylor Swift Breaks Silence on Canceled Vienna Shows After Terror Plot

Taylor Swift watches the second quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 2024. Al Bello/Getty Images

Taylor Swift has said that she feels guilty for letting down her fans after the cancelation of her Eras Tour shows in Vienna, Austria, earlier this month due to an alleged terror attack planned for the concert.

In a post on Instagram on Aug 21, shortly after wrapping up the European leg of the tour, the 34-year-old singer called the cancellation of the Vienna shows “devastating” and said she had not commented on the matter until now in order to prioritize safety.

“Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating,” Swift wrote. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”

The singer also thanked law enforcement officials for foiling the alleged planned attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, the venue where she was scheduled to play between Aug. 8 and Aug. 10.

“I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she said.

Swift’s comments come after three of her concerts were canceled in the Austrian capital when police arrested three individuals who were allegedly planning attacks inspired by the ISIS terrorist group at the events.

Police stated on Aug. 8 that they had arrested a 19-year-old man at a home in Ternitz, Austria, 20 miles south of the Austrian capital.

Officers said the man had uploaded to the internet an oath of allegiance to the current ISIS leader and confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue” using knives or explosives.

A 17-year-old suspect was arrested one day later, followed by an 18-year-old Iraqi national.

Due to Austria’s strict privacy laws, none of the suspects can be identified.

Swift Praises Fans in Wake of Terror Plot

In her Instagram post, Swift said she was “heartened by the love and unity” she saw in her fans, who she said came together after the alleged terror plot was foiled.

The hitmaker said that after the Vienna concerts were canceled, she wanted to ensure that all her energy went toward “helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London.”

Swift’s London shows, which ran from Aug. 15 to Aug. 20 at Wembley Stadium, went as planned after the Austrian cancellations.

“My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us,” she said.

A police officer takes a photograph of fans of U.S. megastar Taylor Swift as they gather on Olympic Way outside Wembley Stadium in London on Aug. 15, 2024, ahead of the first of five concerts at the stadium. Swift returned to the stage in London to end the European leg of her "Eras" tour, a week after her Vienna concerts were canceled because of a suicide attack plot. Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images

The songwriter noted that she had not spoken out earlier on the alleged planned concert attacks in order to protect her fans attending future events.

“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she said.

“In cases like this one, ’silence' is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that.”

Up to 65,000 fans were expected to attend the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna each night, with up to 30,000 more onlookers outside the arena.

Chris Summers contributed to this report.