Swifties shake it off and flock to London Rocked by cancellation of Vienna concerts
LONDON— For Herve Tram, being a Taylor Swift fan goes beyond just enjoying the music.
The 28-year-old computer network engineer from Paris views himself as part of a community known as Swifties. When Swifties concerts in Vienna were canceled last week due to a terror threat, Tram decided to take a small but meaningful action: he gave away two extra tickets to her upcoming London shows to fans who missed their chance to see her in Vienna.
“That’s the strength of this fandom,” Tram said. “We support one another.”
In recent days, the tight-knit Swifties community, which has gathered in stadiums worldwide to experience the 3 1/2-hour performances of her Eras Tour and sing along to their favorite songs, has been deeply affected.
First, a knife-wielding attacker killed three young girls at a Taylor Swifties-themed dance class in northern England, sparking a week of anti-immigrant unrest throughout the U.K. following misinformation spread by right-wing activists about the suspect.
Subsequently, the Vienna concerts were canceled after police apprehended three extremists inspired by the Islamic State who were suspected of planning an attack on the concert venue.
Wembley Stadium in London
Despite these incidents, fans remain enthusiastic about attending Swifties five performances from Thursday to Tuesday at Wembley Stadium in London, which will wrap up the European segment of the Eras Tour. remains undiminished. Enthusiasts are eager to don Swift-themed outfits, exchange handmade friendship bracelets, and, naturally, dance.
Consider Meagan Berneaud, 30, from Columbus, Ohio, who has been a Swifties fan since she was 13.
Recent events made her reconsider traveling to London, recalling the 2 1/2 hours she spent in lockdown during the 2016 terror attack at Ohio State University. Nevertheless, she proceeded with her plans and even created a thread on X (formerly Twitter) to help fans who missed the Vienna shows find tickets for the London concerts. Her thread has garnered over 3,000 views.
I have to remind myself not to let fear take over,” she said.I need to trust that law enforcement will put in their best efforts to keep us safe.
Despite their apprehensions, some fans were determined to attend another show, finding inspiration in Swift’s song “Fearless.”
“And I don’t know why.
With you, I’d dance through any storm.
In my best dress.
Fearless.”
In the song’s music video, Swift performs this number while spinning in various glittering dresses.
Presila Koleva, 26, a design engineer from Cambridge, England, had eagerly anticipated Swift’s Vienna concert for over a year. During the Folklore set on the Eras Tour, she purchased a replica of Swift’s green dress and crafted 30
bracelets for trading with fellow fans. She was devastated when the shows were canceled.
However, after connecting with Tram, who generously gave her one of his tickets, Koleva is excited to wear the dress to the London concert.
There are good people who will go out of their way to help someone they don’t know simply because they’ve seen them go through a difficult situation,” she said. “It could have ended so differently.”
The enthusiasm of Swifties fans, combined with a setlist featuring over 40 songs spanning her entire career, has propelled the Eras Tour to become the highest-grossing tour of all time, with ticket sales exceeding $1 billion last year, according to Pollstar Boxoffice, which tracks the live music industry. The tour is expected to exceed $2 billion in total revenue by the time it wraps up later this year in Indianapolis.
Interest in the London concerts remains strong, with ticket prices reaching thousands of pounds on unofficial resale sites.
As Swift’s tour wraps up in Europe, and given that many young fans have flexible summer schedules, recent events are unlikely to diminish demand for the London shows.
Rafi Mohammed, a pricing expert and founder of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based consultancy Culture of Profit, pointed out that the cancellation of three sold-out Vienna concerts, along with the conclusion of the tour, will likely the tour, will likely increase demand.
If anything, the canceled concerts in Vienna, combined with the tour’s end, will likely drive additional demand,” he said.
Even so, security is a concern.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service has sought to reassure the public by highlighting the lessons learned from the 2017 attack at Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert, which resulted in 22 deaths and numerous injuries.
Event organizers have pledged to implement “additional ticket checks” at Wembley Stadium, which has a capacity of 90,000 seats. The venue enforces a strict policy, allowing only tiny bags and removing those without tickets.
London is a major city well-versed in managing large events,” said Tracy Halliwell, head of tourism at Visit London.“You’ll see a heightened police presence, which is meant to ensure everything proceeds smoothly.
Tram concentrates on the positive actions fans can take, reflecting on how Parisians united after the 2015 Bataclan theater attack to demonstrate that fear would not prevail.
We witnessed hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to show their courage, and I believe we will see the same in London,” he said. “Fans will prove they are undaunted. And as Taylor Swift says, we are fearless.
