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12 Sep 2024 5:08
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  •   Home > News > International

    Taylor Swift returns to stage to perform The Eras Tour in London after foiled terror plot saw Vienna shows cancelled

    Pop megastar Taylor Swift returns to the stage in London for her first public performances since three shows in Vienna were cancelled after authorities uncovered a terrorist plot to "kill as many people as possible" at them.


    As far as acts of defiance go, it was one of the more colourful ones.

    Adorned in sequins, cowboy hats and — of course — the friendship bracelets that have become synonymous with The Eras Tour, the fans in London proved a point on Thursday night.

    Taylor Swift has returned to the stage for the first time since three performances in Vienna were cancelled after authorities uncovered a terrorist plot to "kill as many people as possible" at them.

    A sold-out crowd flocked to Wembley Stadium, which was configured to hold 90,000 people for the pop star's second run of London shows this summer.

    It was also her first concert in England since three children were stabbed to death at a dance class which was billed as "Taylor Swift-themed" in the country's north last month.

    It's the same tour that wowed crowds in Melbourne and Sydney earlier this year.

    Swift had been due to perform at Ernst Happel Stadium, in the Austrian capital, on August 8, 9 and 10 as part of her record-breaking tour.

    However, the shows were cancelled after authorities uncovered a terror blueprint to attack revellers.

    Two people have been arrested over the alleged plot — a 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy — while others have been detained and questioned.

    Police claim the oldest suspect has confessed to planning to "kill as many people as possible" using knives and homemade explosives outside one of the shows.

    They also claim he had pledged allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State.

    Swift did not address the cancellations in the week between the planned Austrian shows, and her London dates.

    The Shake It Off singer took to the stage about 6.45pm local time, to wild cheers.

    When she performed her hit 22 at Wembley, Swift wore a shirt with the words "A LOT GOING ON AT THE MOMENT" on the front, in what could have been a nod to the tragic and tumultuous past three weeks.

    In the music video for the song, released in 2012, she wore a shirt saying "NOT A LOT GOING ON AT THE MOMENT".

    Swift has worn shirts with various and alternating messages when singing 22, over the course of The Eras Tour.

    Sisters Rosabelle, 11, and Emneline, 17, were among those with tickets to Thursday night's show.

    The pair said they were excited to be attending their first Taylor Swift concert and were not concerned about safety.

    "We've been to concerts here before and it's definitely 10 times more security than it's ever been here," Emneline said.

    "I'm feeling perfectly fine. They're going to do a great job. They always do. I'm not worried at all."

    Other fans heading to the show said they felt it was the safest time to attend a major event, given the increased security.

    Mark and his family travelled from their home in Denver, in the United States, to Vienna to watch Swift. Once the concert was cancelled, they managed to get tickets to Thursday night's show in London.

    "We can't wait," he said. 

    "We are ready to enjoy her finally."

    He said the family understood why the performances in Austria were cancelled.

    "But we're not worried about this show at all," Mark said.

    Seema Shirazi, 33, from Belfast travelled to Vienna and had tickets to one of the shows there, before they were cancelled.

    "It was also really heartbreaking to see, so many people wearing their concert outfits around Vienna, especially children, like the majority of our families are little children, so it was heartbreaking to see so many people who were forced to have their hearts broke to save their lives, potentially," she said. 

    "So that was tough."

    The fan has managed to score seats at Swift's Saturday night show in London, though.

    Ahead of the show, 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".

    A trend known as Tay-gating, in which fans without tickets congregate outside venues where the pop star is performing, was also banned at Wembley Stadium.

    In a statement, the venue's management said "non-ticket holders will be moved on" to facilitate the "safe entry and exit of everyone within the stadium".

    It comes after thousands of fans gathered outside Munich's Olympic Stadium to listen to Swift's set last month.

    Noah Price, the international director of the G4S Academy and an expert in security solutions for corporations, said the UK had learned from past attacks at major events, including a suicide bombing at Manchester Arena that killed more than 20 people in 2017.

    "Our police force is one of the best in the world and Wembley Stadium is one of the safest stadiums in the world," he said.

    "They do these kind of large events all the time. However, you can never, ever reduce risk down to zero."

    He said banning people from congregating outside the venue was a good idea.

    "They're a soft and attractive target for terrorists," he said.

    Swift is due to perform four more concerts in London on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.


    ABC




    © 2024 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

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