Rebel band Swifties sing at the top of their lungs in Vienna after terrorist plot foiled – National

Taylor Swift Fans took to the streets of the Austrian capital to sing, hug and cry their hearts out after three Swift concerts were cancelled following a terrorist plot foiled.

Swifties gathered in central Vienna on Corneliusgasse, a street name that echoes Cornelia Street, the title of one of Swift’s tracks on her 2019 album LoverThe song references a street in New York’s Greenwich Village, where Swift rented a luxury apartment in 2016 and where fans now go to take selfies.

The small street was home to hundreds of fans who gathered to complain about the cancellation of the Eras tour, exchange friendship bracelets and sing their favorite Swift songs. A video of the impromptu gathering was posted to social media, showing a crowd of fans standing together, raising their voices in harmony.

Photos taken at the rally show dozens of homemade friendship bracelets, bearing Swift’s lyrics and song titles, hanging from trees. One police officer’s uniform was decorated with the bracelets.

Up to 65,000 fans were expected to attend Swift’s sold-out concerts at Ernst Happel Stadium each night, with up to 30,000 non-ticket holders expected to line up outside the venue. The concerts were scheduled to take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The concert organizers suddenly cancelled all three shows Wednesday after Austrian authorities foiled a planned terrorist attack It is believed to be inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.A 19-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the attack. An 18-year-old was arrested on Thursday after allegedly coming into contact with one of the suspects.

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One of the suspects confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert hall.” Chemicals and bomb-making materials were found at the home of one of the suspects, authorities said.

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On Thursday, the rain started to fall and some of the fans who had gathered in Corneliusgasse dispersed. On Friday, the Swifties took to the streets again.

A fan who travelled to Vienna from the UK told the BBC that the mood at Thursday’s rally was “somber but also excited.”

“It’s a really strange situation and I think what we ultimately feel is just gratitude that we’re safe and that everyone is safe,” she said. “It’s a mix of emotions.”

But it wasn’t just Corneliusgasse that welcomed the resilient Swifties; many establishments across Vienna opened their doors to the dejected fans, including local museums that offered free entry and restaurants and cafes offering complimentary food and drinks.

Kristi Hovington, an educator and school librarian in Barcelona, ​​posted on X (formerly Twitter) that a local church was playing Swift songs throughout the day to give Swifties a place to gather.

Hovington told Variety that her daughter “heard a Taylor Swift song playing on the street, and she stopped.”

“There was a sign outside this building. We didn’t realize it was a church, but there was a sign that said, ‘Dear Swifties, we sympathize with you. You are welcome to come sing and express your sorrow.’”

When they entered, Hovington saw that the church pews were “filled with people crying and singing,” while the Eras tour setlist blared through the church’s speakers.

“Everyone was hugging each other,” she continued. “It was a really beautiful moment, we were all sad that we couldn’t see Taylor and so sad that this horrible thing had happened, targeting mostly women and girls at a concert. But Swifties are very resilient, and people continued to go about their lives, were kind, exchanged friendship bracelets and sang songs through it all.”

Swift has yet to comment on the foiled plot targeting her Eras tour, but she said in a Interview with Elle in 2019 magazine that an attack at one of his concerts was “his biggest fear.”

“After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, I was absolutely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep three million fans safe for seven months,” she said at the time.

“There has been a tremendous amount of planning, expense and effort put into ensuring the safety of my fans.”

— With information from the Associated Press

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