Taylor Swift speaks out on canceled Vienna shows — and explains why she waited until now

Swift wrote that her silence following the show cancellation was “actually showing restraint.”

By Samantha Kubota
Taylor Swift is breaking her silence after a foiled terror plot led to three of her “Eras Tour” shows in Vienna, Austria, being canceled earlier this month.

Austrian police confirmed on Aug. 7 that they arrested two men who had allegedly planned to carry out attacks on major Vienna events, including Swift’s concerts.

Swift’s Vienna shows (Aug. 8, 9 and 10) were subsequently canceled, with all tickets being automatically refunded. At the time, Swift did not speak out about the foiled plot and went on to wrap up the European leg of her tour with several shows in London.

Now, in a post shared Aug. 21, Swift is explaining why she waited to post about what happened in Vienna.

“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,” she said, in part. “But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”

Swift added that she was “heartened by the love and unity” she saw in fans following the cancellations — many of them gathered to sing in Vienna together — and her team worked “hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities” to make sure the London shows were as safe as possible.

“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 continued.

Swift went on to say that she intentionally did not comment on the Vienna 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,” she wrote. “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.”

Swift went on to celebrate her shows at Wembley Stadium — writing it felt “like a beautiful dream sequence” — and the end of this leg of the tour.

“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,” she concluded. “Thank you for the adventure of a lifetime. May it continue…”

Swift will return to the stage on Oct. 18 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. She has several more shows in North America — New Orleans, Indianapolis, Toronto and Vancouver — before concluding the tour in early December.