Taylor Swift once called a potential terror attack during her concert her “biggest fear.”
In an Elle article in 2019 — which resurfaced over the weekend following the cancellation of her three Vienna shows — Swift shared her fears of going on tour following a slew of terrorist attacks that had killed dozens of concertgoers.
“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,” Swift wrote. “There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe.”
The two incidents she was referring to took place in 2017: The suicide bombing after an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, and the shooting during Jason Aldean’s performance at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas.
The “Cruel Summer” singer shared that her fear of violence has also impacted her personal life, especially since she’s in the public eye.
“I carry QuikClot army grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds,” Swift wrote, adding that she started “prepping for bad things” after encountering numerous stalkers trying to break into her home.
“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,” she continued.
Last week, Austrian authorities said they arrested three male teenagers on suspicion of planning an attack on an Eras Tour concert in Vienna. Officials said they found explosives, detonators, and chemicals in the main suspect’s home.
Following the news of the foiled terror plot, Austrian concert organizer Barracuda Music announced the cancellation of the concerts on Instagram. The post was reshared by Taylor Nation, the official social media account for Swift’s team.
In light of the canceled shows, the Vienna Tourist Board took to Instagram to share how Swifties can still enjoy the city, including a few Taylor Swift-themed events.
Swarovski even gave away necklaces to fans affected by the canceled shows.
Swift is scheduled to perform five nights at Wembley Stadium from August 15 to 20 before she returns to North America for the final leg of her Eras Tour.
However, some Swifties are choosing to sell their Wembley Stadium tickets over fears that a terror attack could take place during the London shows, The Independent reported. Tickets to the concerts — which were sold out — have now become available on Ticketmaster.
This comes on the heels of a knife attack that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport, UK, last month. Over the past week, several protests have also erupted in parts of the UK following the spread of misinformation about the identity of the suspect in the stabbing attack.
Meanwhile, London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan told Sky News last Thursday that plans are in place for the London shows to go on.
“I’m sure Vienna has got its own reasons to cancel the Taylor Swift concerts,” Khan told Sky News. “We’re going to carry on, working closely with police, ensuring that the Taylor Swift concerts can take place in London safely.”
Swift has not yet released a statement on the canceled Vienna concerts. A representative for Swift did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular hours.
