Taylor Swift has made her first comments on the cancellation of her Vienna Shows due to a foiled terrorist plot two weeks ago.
Three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna were cancelled over an apparent plot to launch an attack on an event in the Vienna area, such as the concerts.
"Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating," the singer wrote on Instagram this morning.
'Grieving concerts, not lives'
“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.”
"But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts not lives".
"I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together."
Swift wrapped up the European leg of her tour on Monday in London's Wembley Stadium.
"I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London," she said.
"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."
Why did Taylor Swift wait to speak?
The singer also addressed why she waited until now to speak about the cancellations.
"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.
"In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to," she said.
"My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that."
She said after the foiled terror plot in Vienna, walking on stage in London was a "rollercoaster of emotions".
"All five crowds at Wembley Stadium were bursting with passion, joy, and exuberance," she said.
"The energy in that stadium was like the most giant bear hug from 92,000 people each night, and it brought me back to a place of carefree calm up there."
What happened in Vienna?
Authorities said a 19-year-old suspect had planned to target spectators outside the Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives, hoping to "kill as many people as possible."
Concert organiser Barracuda Music had said it cancelled the three-night Vienna run that would have begun August 8 because the arrests made in connection to the conspiracy were too close to showtime.
That suspect and another 17-year-old were taken into custody on August 6, the day before the shows were announced as cancelled.
A third suspect, 18, was arrested August 8.
Heightened security in London
Ahead of the second leg of Wembley shows, London's Metropolitan Police confirmed officers were working "closely with venue security teams and other partners to ensure there are appropriate security and policing plans in place".
Last month, three children aged six, seven and nine were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in the UK.
At least six other children and two adults were hospitalised following the Southport incident.
A 17-year-old boy has since been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.
Police have said the incident was not terrorism-related.
Days of riots played out in Southport and towns and cities across the United Kingdom, fuelled by false online posts wrongly identifying the suspected killer as an Islamist migrant.
Swift met with two girls who were among those injured in the stabbing on August 18.
Sami Foster, mother of Hope and Autumn, shared a series of photos to TikTok showing her daughters backstage with the pop star at Wembley Stadium in London.
She is also understood to have reached out to the victims' families ahead of the Wembley shows.
A record-setting Wembley run
The singer's second run of shows in London set new records.
Swift is the first solo artist to play Wembley eight times in one tour.
Her first run at Wembley was three shows in June.
"To the fans who have seen us this summer, you'll always have the most sparkling place in my memories," she wrote.
"You were a dream to perform for, dance with, and share those magical moments with."
The Eras Tour will be back in October in the US starting in Miami, Florida.
"But for now, we take a much needed rest," she wrote.
