Taylor Swift says she felt ‘fear’ and ‘tremendous guilt’ over canceled Vienna shows

Taylor Swift said the foiled terror attack that prompted the cancelation of three shows in Austria filled her with “a new sense of fear” and a “tremendous amount of guilt” that thousands of fans missed out on seeing her perform.
The 34-year-old singer-songwriter broke her silence about the incident in a post on Instagram, just days after finishing the European leg of her sold-out “Eras” tour in London on Tuesday.
“Walking onstage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions,” Swift said in the post. “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.”
“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she added.
Swift’s concerts in Vienna, scheduled for Aug. 8, 9 and 10, were canceled as a precaution after Austrian police arrested two teenagers — a third was later detained — accused of preparing to carry out a terror attack.
The Instagram post was the first Swift had shared since the incident. She said her silence was “actually showing restraint, waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to.”
“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,” Swift said.
In response, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said, “We look forward to future and safe concerts from you and cordially invite you to Vienna!”
Swift’s record-breaking tour will resume in the U.S. in October.