“Walking onstage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions. Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. 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,” Swift wrote in a post to her 283 million Instagram followers on Tuesday (local time).
“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.
“I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together. 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.
“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.
“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,” she continued.
“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that.
“And then London felt like a beautiful dream sequence. All five crowds at Wembley Stadium were bursting with passion, joy, and exuberance. 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.”
Elsewhere in the statement, Swift paid tribute to “the most passionate crowds I’d ever played for”, “new traditions”, and an “entirely new era”.
“It was a more hectic pace than we’d done before, and I’m so proud of my crew/fellow performers for being able to physically perform that show and build our massive stage, take it apart, and make magic with so few days in between for recovery and travel. They’re the most impressive people I know and I’m so lucky they gave The Eras Tour their time, their energy, and their expertise,” she added.
“It was the most dizzying honour to become the first solo artist to play Wembley 8 times in one tour. To the fans who have seen us this summer, you’ll always have the most sparkling place in my memories.
“You were a dream to perform for, dance with, and share those magical moments with. We’ll see you all again when we resume The Eras Tour in October, but for now we get to take a much needed rest. Thank you for the adventure of a lifetime. May it continue…”
The three cancelled shows were set to take place between August 8 and 10 at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna.
A Kiwi who had bought tickets to one of the cancelled Vienna shows told the Herald how she felt when she and her family heard the news. Anna Hill, who is based in Barcelona, Spain, planned on taking her two daughters Saskia, 12, and Estée, 8, to the third night of the Austrian leg after they failed to secure tickets to Swift’s last tour in Aotearoa.
“Knowing we were going to the concert has got Saskia through some really tough times, so telling my daughters was devastating - lots of tears and grief,” she told the Herald.
According to reports, a suspect in the terrorist attack, believed to be a 17-year-old, had started working at the venue just days before the cancellations were announced.
The Eras Tour commenced on March 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona and is set to conclude on December 8, 2024 in Vancouver, Canada, consisting of 149 shows that span five continents.
