Taylor Swift fans from Massachusetts who traveled to Vienna for the singer’s Eras Tour said they were disappointed after their shows this week were canceled, but grateful a possible terror attack was thwarted.
Show organizers released a statement Wednesday saying that tickets to all three Vienna shows would be refunded after government officials “confirmed” a planned terror attack. Authorities said they had arrested two extremists, including one who appeared to be planning an attack on an event in Vienna — such as the upcoming Swift concerts.
“We could see that they had a very high radicalization and that they were also motivated to do attacks,” said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence in Austria.
As of Thursday, a 15-year-old who had been in contact with both suspects was also being interrogated by police.
“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” said concert organizer Barracuda Music in an Instagram post.
Michelle Kinsella, of Milford, who works as a fifth-grade teacher in Framingham, said she saved up for a year to pay for the trip to Vienna.
The Swift concert was intended to be a 50th birthday present for herself. She said her phone blew up with text messages late Wednesday night.
“All my friends were like, ‘We just saw it on the news that the concert’s canceled. There’s terrorist threats.’ And we didn’t even know. We were like so stunned,” Kinsella said.
Swifties, including many from Massachusetts, took to the streets of Vienna Thursday to sing the songs they would have sung at the concerts.
“The Swiftie community is a very welcoming and kind community. I’m saying it and I’m getting a little teary-eyed,” Kinsella said.
Shannon Knight of South Boston said she traveled to Vienna to see Taylor Swift with her partner and some college friends.
“We feel bad for a lot of the little girls, because we were seeing a lot of young American girls walking around, trading bracelets, and we really feel for them, because they’re very disappointed,” Knight said.
Knight said it was a disappointing shock, but not the end of the world.
“We are grateful that it was caught, they were caught. And as disappointed as we are, safety has to come first,” she said.
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