Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans have flooded the streets of Vienna to unite in song after the Austrian leg of the singer’s sold-out Eras Tour was cancelled over an ISIS terrorism plot.
Scores of fans donning their elaborate concert outfits and friendship bracelets are meeting across the city to sing and dance to the popstar’s hits.
Videos shared on TikTok and Twitter show crowds of Swifties – the term used to describe Swift’s fans – remained strong as their voices echoed through the Austrian capital today while they sang the lyrics they had hoped to hear during her three-hour-plus concerts this weekend.
The group, suggesting that although the concert was cancelled the terrorists still did not win, belted out the words to ‘Karma’, as well as Swift’s protest song ‘Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince’ and ‘You Need to Calm Down’, which is widely recognised as her anti-hate and pro-LGBTQ anthem.
Police arrested the 19-year-old who allegedly plotted the foiled attack on Wednesday morning. His accomplice, aged 17, was detained in the afternoon. Authorities say both suspects appear to have been inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.
Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans flooded the streets of Vienna today to unite in song after the Austrian leg of the singer’s sold-out Eras Tour was cancelled over an ISIS terrorism plot
Crowds of Swifties – the term used to describe Swift’s fans – remained strong as their voices echoed through the Austrian capital today. The singer’s fans have been meeting across the city to sing and dance to her hits
The 19-year-old ISIS fanatic has been identified as Beran A., who lived in a newly-built semi-terraced house in Ternitz, south of Vienna, where he spent his childhood
Three sold-out concerts were cancelled yesterday because of the plot and although fans have expressed gratitude that they are safe and understand why the gigs were cancelled, they still remain devastated.
Many of them had dropped thousands on travel and lodging in Austria’s expensive capital city to attend the Eras Tour shows at the Ernst Happel Stadium, which sat empty Thursday morning.
But today the heartbroken and defiant Swifties, some through their tears, gathered in the Austrian capital to make the most of the situation.
One video posted to TikTok, captioned ‘because they will never win’, showed how the massive crowd scream-sang the lyrics to ‘Karma’, which Swift has previously said she wrote from the perspective being rewarded in life for doing the right things.
‘Karma’s a relaxing thought, aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?’ the group sung.
In another clip, crying fans were seen supporting and hugging each other as they clapped and sang ‘everything will be alright if we just keep dancing like we’re 22′.
The song, ’22’, is from Swift’s Red album and celebrates being young and carefree in the midst of battling heartbreak.
Heartbroken and defiant Swifties, some through their tears, gathered in the Austrian capital today to sing together
Swifties trade friendship bracelets in the city centre in Vienna on Thursday, Aug.8, 2024
The group belted out the words to ‘Karma’, as well as Swift’s protest song ‘Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince’ and ‘You Need to Calm Down’, which is widely recognised as her anti-hate and pro- LGBTQ anthem
Swifties fix friendship bracelets on a tree in the city centre in Vienna on Thursday, Aug.8, 2024
A fan throws up a heart with her hands as Swifties gather in the Vienna city centre today
Fans trade friendship bracelets in Vienna today as they gather together following the cancellation of three Taylor Swift concerts at Happel stadium
Another social media user, who said in their post that Swifties had gathered to ‘sing away their sadness’, shared footage of the group belting out the lyrics to ‘Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince’.
The song is the opening track of the Eras Tour setlist and is highly regarded as a protest song. Released on her 2019 album Lover, the analyses US politics through the lens of a high school romance.
Similarly, singing the lyrics to Swift’s anti-hate song, the crowd belted out ‘you need to just stop, can you just not step on my gown? You need to calm down’.
Channelling their sadness, the group sang ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’, a break-up song about an ex-partner’s moral stature that is thought to be about 1975 frontman Matty Healy.
They united to sing the full 10-minute long version of ‘All Too Well’, which was written about a devastating breakup but has now, according to Swift herself, been turned into a Swiftie anthem by fans.
They also burst out a few fan favourites including ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ from the Reputation album and Speak Now hits ‘Long Live’ and ‘Enchanted’.
But if singing and trading friendship bracelets wasn’t enough of a display of love, one couple even got engaged during the streetside singalong. Swifties have made a tradition of proposing during the Eras Tour, so it’s no surprise the gesture continued today.
Taylor Swift (pictured at her London concert on June 23) has not spoken publicly about the plot or cancelled shows. ‘Taylor Nation,’ a verified Instagram page widely believed to be run by her team, reposted the announcement from Barracuda Music in a ‘story,’ which is only visible for 24 hours. Her main account has not posted anything
Concert organizers in Austria said they had expected up to 65,000 fans inside the stadium at each concert and as many as 30,000 onlookers outside, where authorities said the suspects planned to strike.
The foiled attack was planned for Thursday or Friday, according to Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner.
The main suspect confessed – identified as ISIS fanatic Beran A. – that he had started planning the attack in July, authorities said.
The 19-year-old just a few weeks ago uploaded to the internet an oath of allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State group.
He was ‘clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 infidels,’ said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence.
Haijawi-Pirchner added that the suspect ‘wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made.’
During a raid of the suspect’s home in Ternitz, south of Vienna, investigators found chemical substances and technical devices that indicated ‘concrete preparatory acts,’ said Franz Ruf, director general for public security at the Ministry of the Interior.
Fans were still smiling today and wearing their concert outfits despite the shows being cancelled
Taylor Swift fans ‘shake it off’ in the streets of Vienna after the concert is cancelled
A fan of US singer Taylor Swift – a Swiftie – proudly presents her many friendship bracelets
Swift fan Jenny, who is from Vienna, trades bracelets in the city centre
Swifties trade bracelets in the city centre in Vienna
Taylor Swift fans sing together on Stephansplatz on August 08, 2024 in Vienna, Austria
Authorities said they also found Islamic State group and al-Qaida material at the home of the second suspect, who is 17.
That suspect, who has so far refused to talk, was employed a few days ago by a company providing unspecified services at the venue for the concerts.
The 19-year-old is an Austrian with North Macedonian roots. The 17-year-old is an Austrian with Turkish and Croatian roots.
The North Macedonian Interior Ministry released a statement Thursday saying that it had received a request from Austria to look into the 19-year-old.
The suspects had undergone clear social changes recently, authorities said. The 19-year-old had quit his job but said he ‘still had big plans,’ while the other broke up with his girlfriend.
Neither suspect appeared to have a ticket to any of the shows, Haijawi-Pirchner said.
No other suspects are being sought, though a 15-year-old who had been in contact with both suspects was also interrogated by police, Karner said.
The 19-year-old suspect – who was living in his parents’ house (white house pictured right) along with another man – was arrested on Wednesday after police raided the home, according to Kronen Zeitung
Concert organiser Barracuda Music said in an Instagram post late Wednesday that it had ‘no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.’
Barracuda said all tickets would be refunded. The same message was posted under the Vienna dates on Swift’s official website. Austrian rail operator OeBB in the meantime said that it would reimburse fans for unused train tickets for the concerts.
Swift has not spoken publicly about the plot or cancelled shows. ‘Taylor Nation,’ a verified Instagram page widely believed to be run by her team, reposted the announcement from Barracuda Music in a ‘story,’ which is only visible for 24 hours. Her main account has not posted anything.
Swift’s biggest fear has always been that such large-scale violence could take place at her concerts, the superstar told Elle magazine in 2019 ahead of her Lover Tour, which was ultimately cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The attack at Ariana Grande’s concert at Manchester Arena in 2017, as well as a mass shooting at an outdoor country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip that same year that saw 58 people were 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed, worried Swift as she prepared to circle the globe.
‘I was completely terrified to go on (the Lover Tour) this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months,’ she told the magazine. ‘There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe.’
