Taylor Swift shares real reason for silence over Vienna terror threat as she speaks out on axed gigs: 'Guilt'
Taylor Swift has spoken out about the cancelled Vienna gigs
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Taylor Swift has released a lengthy statement explaining why she decided to stay silent about her cancelled Vienna gigs earlier this month.
Three of her dates on the Eras Tour were cancelled in the Austrian capital after police thwarted a terror attack plot, resulting in the arrest of two men.
Swift didn't let the incident derail the rest of the European leg of her tour but faced criticism in the days after as she avoided publicly mentioning the plot.
The Shake It Off singer rounded off the European leg of her tour in London's Wembley Stadium this week which is reported to have injected an incredible £1billion into the UK economy.
Issuing a statement on Instagram last night after bringing the leg of the tour to a close, Swift admitted she was "filled with a new sense of fear" following the Vienna cancellations but avoided addressing it publicly so she could focus "all of her energy" toward "protecting" British concertgoers.
Her statement in full read: "In summation. We have officially wrapped the European leg of The Eras Tour. With it came the most passionate crowds I’ve ever played for, new traditions in the show, and an entirely new era added in.
Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran entertained crowds during the Wembley leg of her Eras Tour
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"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."
Turning her attention to the thwarted terror attacks, the Cruel Summer hitmaker continued: "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. 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."
Taylor Swift will resume her Eras Tour in October
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Clarifying the reason for her silence further, Swift added: "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.
"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 then mentioned the hundreds of thousands of fans that descended on Wembley Stadium to see her perform for the final stretch of the European leg.
"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," the 34-year-old said.
She paid tribute to Ed Sheeran and other big-named artists who joined her on-stage during the shows.
"We had some EPIC surprise performances from my long time friends @teddysphotos, @florenceandthemachine, and @jackantonoff. Performing ‘Florida!!!’ with Flo for the first time was unforgettable and Ed took me right back to our old Red Tour memories," Swift mentioned.
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She signed off: "It was the most dizzying honor 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…" (sic)