Belgians who travelled to Vienna to see Taylor Swift in concert say they are disappointed but realistic about the cancellation of the performances over a terrorism threat.
Belgian fans in Vienna react to cancellation of Taylor Swift concerts over terrorist threat
Sally Tipper
Published:
US music star Taylor Swift was due to perform in front of more than 170,000 fans in Austria on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as part of her worldwide Eras tour. All three scheduled concerts were cancelled on Wednesday after police arrested two teenagers on suspicion of planning to carry out an attack at the venue, the Ernst Happel Stadium.
Austrian authorities found chemicals and propaganda from terror groups Al-Qaida and IS on the suspects, aged 17 and 19. “The plan was to kill as many people as possible – today and tomorrow – outside the stadium with explosives and knives,” security forces said.
The 19-year-old was allegedly radicalised through the internet and recently swore allegiance to terrorist organisation Islamic State.
Following the arrests, the concert organiser first announced tightened security measures before deciding to cancel the events.
Sander Vandenhende, a presenter on radio station Nostalgia Plus, had driven from Belgium to Vienna with friends for the concert. “We left by car at 3.00 and arrived here yesterday afternoon,” he told VRT. “We went for a drink, and the moment we sat on the terrace to eat something we got the message that two suspects had been arrested. At that point, though, the concert was still going ahead.”
Two hours later, they saw reports in various media that the concert would be cancelled. “We were sitting in a café at the time, surrounded by a lot of other fans, and you could really feel the news creeping up on everyone.”
Fellow ticket-holder Miek was also at a restaurant when she heard the news. “I got lots of worried messages from family and friends that the concert had been cancelled. It was a bit frustrating that we hadn’t received an official mail ourselves first with the news. I’d already read on VRT NWS that the concert had been cancelled, even before I got the mail.”
All the Belgian fans who spoke to VRT said they understood the decision to cancel the concert. “The organisation definitely made the right decision,” says Anneleen, who had a ticket for Thursday’s concert. “I wouldn’t want anything to go wrong at such a big and fun event. Putting safety above everything else makes sense to me. Of course, it’s very unfortunate for all the fans who had been looking forward to this for a long time."
Eveline also shows understanding for the decision. She had tickets for Saturday. “The risk is too great. Such a decision is not made lightly,” she said. “I have every confidence that the organisation gave it a lot of thought. But I was really looking forward to it. It would have been the first time I’d seen her live, so the fact it’s been cancelled is a pity.”