Taylor Swift’s Vienna concerts were cancelled due to the threat of terrorism. London is now on the tour schedule. How nervous are people in the British capital?
It is supposed to be the highlight of a tour of superlatives, the happy conclusion of a mega spectacle. Taylor Swift (34) is ending the European part of her Eras tour with five concerts in London’s Wembley Stadium. But after the cancellation of her shows in Vienna due to the threat of terrorism, the anticipation is often mixed with the anxious question: will everything go well in the British capital? Almost half a million “Swifties”, as the US singer’s fans are called, want to attend the five performances.
Shortly before the first live concert in Vienna, the Austrian police uncovered a plot for a suspected Islamist attack on the event. Three suspects were arrested. A 19-year-old confessed – he wanted to cause a bloodbath among the “Swifties” in front of the stadium in Vienna – and on Sunday there was a turnaround: the young man now completely denies the allegations.
Scotland Yard sees no terrorist threat so far
Is the fear of terrorism also spreading at Taylor on the Thames? There is no talk of that in London. “There is no indication that the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have any impact on upcoming events here in London,” the Metropolitan Police said in response to a query from the German Press Agency.
Scotland Yard is working closely with event organizers’ security teams and other partners to ensure appropriate security and surveillance plans are in place and will carefully review any new information, it said.
British Police Secretary of State Diana Johnson had previously announced that the London police would evaluate all evidence and carry out a risk assessment for every incident in the country.
Lessons learned from the Manchester attack
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is trying to calm concerns, telling Sky News that London is looking forward to welcoming Taylor Swift back.
The superstar had already performed three times at Wembley at the start of the Eras tour. The city was in a total Swift frenzy. A Taylor map of the “Tube”, the London underground, was published: each line was named after a different album and drawn in the corresponding colors.
Stations were named after songs such as “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “All Too Well.” The Royal Band played a version of Swift’s hit “Shake It Off” during the changing of the guard in front of Buckingham Palace – the Royal Family’s official X-account posted a video.
The British capital is an international city that regularly hosts major events, stressed Mayor Khan. “We have a lot of experience in monitoring these events, we are never negligent.”
According to Khan, London has also learned many lessons from the bomb attack on a concert at the Manchester Arena in 2017. At that time, an Islamist attacker killed 22 people with a bomb at a concert by US singer Ariana Grande.
Recently, the British police were deployed on a large scale not only in London because of right-wing extremist riots. Serious riots broke out in numerous cities and hundreds were arrested. This was preceded by a knife attack on a Taylor Swift dance class for primary school students in the north-west English town of Southport. Three girls were killed. Contrary to what the right-wing extremist rioters claim, the suspect is not a Muslim migrant, but was born to Rwandans in Great Britain.
There was initially no information about any concrete measures to increase security around the concerts in London. The Wembley Stadium website stated that anyone without a ticket should not travel. “No one is allowed to stand in front of an entrance or on the Olympic steps in front of the stadium.” But according to a report in Time magazine, this notice was already given in June before Swift’s first performances in London.
Allegedly increased supply of tickets for resale
It is uncertain whether a significant number of “Swifties” will be deterred from an unforgettable evening with their idol out of fear of an attack. The British newspaper “Independent” reported that after the cancellations in Vienna there was an increase in available Swift concert tickets on a ticket resale website. However, it could not be confirmed with certainty whether this was actually the case and whether it had something to do with worried fans who preferred to forego the concert out of fear of an attack.
The superstar himself is taking a break after London. The Eras tour will not continue until November: with six concerts in the Canadian city of Toronto. In December, three more shows are planned in Vancouver on Canada’s west coast.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
