S Poddar
Taylor Swift is back in London tonight as she ignites Wembley Stadium for her first live performance since the concerts that were to be held in Austria were canceled abruptly over a foiled terrorist plot.
Already, Swift has given three landmark performances at Wembley as she takes her record-breaking Eras Tour across the world. Now, she is back for five more blockbuster shows, with the fifth marking the end of the European leg of the tour.
But Swift’s most ardent fans, collectively known as Swifties, have next-level concerns of their own. Those lucky enough to have scored floor tickets are already plotting to wait in line hours ahead of showtime in an effort to stake out a prime spot in the front row—that way, they’re sure to be directly in front of their icon. And of course, most will be wearing friendship bracelets, something many of them have done at every other show they’ve been to, since it’s a signifier of the kindship and shared fervor that unifies them in their Taylor devotion.
But the run-up to these London dates has not been plain sailing. Last month, three teenage girls were killed in a stabbing attack during a dance class in Southport, Merseyside, which the girls had organised in tribute to Swift’s songs. “I’m shocked and saddened” by the attack, Swift wrote on Instagram, offering her condolences to the families of the victims.
Only weeks after the tragedy, a reported terrorist threat would end up canceling the planned Swift shows in Vienna. To say the fans were disappointed would be an understatement, yet once again, the Swiftie community rallied around and offered their support for those who had planned to go to the Austria shows.
Among the affected was 47-year-old fan Catherine Santamaria from Buckinghamshire, who had booked up for a Vienna concert with her 14-year-old daughter Carla. Despite it being cancelled, the two women travelled anyway – to hook up with other fans in central Vienna. It was an amicable atmosphere; people were exchanging bracelets and singing as a way to lift each other’s spirits.
Thanks to a good deed done by another Swiftie, the Santamarias have tickets to Monday’s Wembley show. Catherine shared their story online. One American lady offered to sell her tickets at face value. Funny to be overwhelmed and overjoyed by the generosity of a stranger—in a good way.
That was not the end of it. Cristina Jones, who set up a viral fundraiser for those caught up in the Southport incident, announced that she was giving her Wembley ticket to a fan who was supposed to go to the Vienna show. Cristina, 29, did not want anyone to miss the concert because it got canceled.
But with the buzz continuing to grow for tonight’s concert, officials at Wembley have reiterated that security will be tight. A spokeswoman for the Met Police also told fans there was no intelligence to suggest any threat to the concerts in London.
Right after her last Wembley show on August 20th, Swift takes a brief pause before resuming her Eras Tour in Canada later this year. The ultimate figure for the ticket sale is already an all-time highest-grossing tour well over $1 billion, which is sure to at least double that by the end of the year.
