Swiftie-dom is understandably on edge following the terrifying reports of a planned terrorist attack on Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour concert dates in Vienna, Austria emerged Wednesday, Aug. 7. With news of the three show’s cancellation, all eyes are now on the next Eras stop: Wembley.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed Swift’s upcoming five-night stint at Wembley Stadium starting Aug. 15 is continuing as planned. In a statement to Sky News, Khan said the city would be “working closely with police” to ensure that the concerts unfold without issue. The memory of the Manchester Arena bombing of 2017, which targeted an Ariana Grande concert and killed 22 people, is still extremely vivid in the country’s conscience, especially for concert attendees and fans of pop divas like Swift and Grande.
“We’ve got a huge amount of experience in policing these events. We are never complacent,” Khan added. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson and Policing minister Diana Johnson doubled down on the mayor’s reassuring update, emphasizing the numerous other similarly-scaled events safely hosted in London regularly.
Two men were arrested on Wednesday under suspicions of plotting attacks targeting different major Vienna events, the biggest of which being Swift’s Eras Tour dates which were scheduled to happen between Thursday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 10. The main suspect was a 19-year-old man who had dangerous chemicals and technical devices found in his home, as well as social media posts declaring allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). His 17-year-old accomplice had found a job at the concert venue, Ernst Happel Stadium, just days before the concerts were set to take place. They planned to use knives and homemade explosives to kill themselves and as many people as possible.
Swift has yet to comment on the events. This is the second violent occurrence related to the singer in a short period with the first happening in England, coincidentally. Three young girls were stabbed and killed in an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town of Southport, England at the end of July, giving rise to a wave of racist anti-immigration far-right riots in the U.K. when fake news profiled the perpetrator as a Muslim “asylum seeker who arrived in the UK by boat last year.” In a statement posted to her Instagram page, the “Fortnight” singer confessed to feeling extremely distressed over the episode.
The horror of yesterday’s attack is washing over me continuously and I’m just completely in shock. The loss of life and innocence and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”
Swift’s London shows are always some of the most colorful on every one of her tours. From special guests, special surprises, and celebrity attendees, the magic of Wembley always lends an extra dose of glitter to the already shimmering performances by the superstar, whose Eras Tour is already the biggest concert tour in history. This time around, however, there will be a shadow of doubt and fear cast over the bright lights of a place that has been hailed by attendees as a rare safe haven for women, girls, and the LGBT+ community.
Published: Aug 8, 2024 01:46 pm