Swifties Gather in Vienna After Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Cancellation

Three concerts of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour have been cancelled in Vienna. (Getty)

Members of the Taylor Swift band gathered in Vienna, Austria, after Taylor Swift’s Eras tour concerts in the city were canceled following a suspected terrorist attack. The attack was eventually foiled by government authorities.

Concert organizers canceled the shows on August 7 after authorities announced they had made arrests in connection with the terrorist plot. Swift was scheduled to perform at Ernst Happel Stadium on August 8, 9 and 10.

Fans of the singer who were scheduled to attend Swift’s critically acclaimed three-night Eras Tour flocked to the city’s streets to console each other after the cancellations were announced.

The singer’s fans continued to share friendship bracelets despite the cancellation of her tour dates in the city. (Getty)

But her loyal fans vowed to make the most of their presence. The Swifties continued to hand out friendship bracelets, dress up in Eras-inspired costumes and sing songs from the singer’s discography, even though the star didn’t take the stage as planned.

Fans even flocked to Cornelius Gasse in the city’s 6th District because of its similarities to Swift’s song “Cornelia Street.” Fans hugged each other, some crying as they sang, “And baby, I’m mystified by the way this city screams your name / I’m so scared that if you ever leave / I’ll never walk down Cornelia Street again.”

At the time of the cancellation, event organizer Barracuda Music said via social media: “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel all three scheduled shows for the safety of all.”

Authorities said they had arrested three suspected extremists. A 19-year-old was arrested in Ternitz, south of Vienna, while a second and third suspects were also detained, according to the BBC.

Franz Ruf, director of public security at the Austrian Interior Ministry, said authorities were aware of “preparatory actions” for a possible attack.

“During our investigations, we identified preparatory actions and noted that the 19-year-old suspect was particularly interested in Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna,” Ruf said. He also said that the main suspect, an Austrian citizen who had previously pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group (IS), was allegedly radicalised online.

In a 2019 interview with Elle magazine, Swift explained that her “biggest fear” was violence breaking out at her concerts. She wrote at the time: “After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, I was absolutely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe for seven months.”

The singer is set to continue her performances at Wembley Stadium in London on August 16, 17, 19 and 20, marking the end of the European leg of her tour.