Updated August 22, 2024, 02:12
Foiled attack in Vienna: Taylor Swift says she felt ‘fear’ and ‘guilt’
American singer Taylor Swift, who had to cancel her concerts in Vienna due to a threat of attack, spoke on Wednesday about her “fear” and “guilt”.
Taylor Swift performs on stage in Decines-Charpieu, France on June 2, 2024.
AFP
American singer Taylor Swift said she felt “fear” and “guilt” on Wednesday after her three concerts in Vienna were cancelled following a foiled attack.
“Having our Vienna concerts cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear and a huge amount of guilt as so many people had planned to come to these concerts,” she said in a post on social media platform Instagram.
The world star’s three concerts in Vienna were cancelled in early August after police announced plans for Islamist attacks.
Police arrested three suspects and the United States said it had provided Austria with intelligence that helped foil the attack. The main suspect, aged 19, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group and had “made a full confession”, according to intelligence.
European tour
“I was also very grateful to the authorities, because thanks to them we mourned concerts and not lives. The love and unity I saw in the fans who came together gave me courage,” Taylor Swift added in the post on Wednesday.
The singer was due to perform in Vienna as part of her “Eras” tour, the European leg of which kicked off in Paris in May. After France, she went to Sweden, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Poland, each time with a notable impact on the local economy.
In Austria, more than 170,000 spectators were expected for an estimated revenue of around 100 million euros.
(AFP)
