Celebrities
Sinead Butler
Aug 12, 2024
Taylor Swift's security is now at 'presidential level' ahead of London shows
Bang Showbiz / VideoElephant
Taylor Swift has previously said a potential terrorist attack at one of her shows is her "biggest fear".
This quote has resurfaced after three of the pop star's Eras Tour dates in Vienna, Austria were cancelled following an alleged foiled terror plot to attack fans attending and three people have been arrested in connection to the threat.
More than 65,000 Swifties were due to attend each night with another 35,000 also expected to gather outside the venue and the authorities said the main suspect aimed to "kill as many people as possible with knives" or homemade explosives, as per Associated Press.
Now, a 2019 Elle article where the Fortnight singer shared 30 things she learned before turning 30 has re-emerged, in particular what Swift had to say for number seven.
"After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn't know how we were going to keep three-million fans safe over seven months," Swift wrote.
"There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense and effort put into keeping my fans safe."
: Taylor Swift fans sing together on Stephansplatz on August 08, 2024 in Vienna, Austria. Three nights of Taylor Swift concerts, which were meant to take place here tonight, Friday and Saturday, were cancelled after Austrian law enforcement announced it had foiled a suspected attack on the venue. Photo by Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images
Here, Swift is referring to an Ariana Grande concert in 2017 that took place in Manchester, England where a suicide bomb tragically killed 22 people and the shooting in 2017 during Jason Aldean's performance at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas.
She added: "I carry QuikClot army-grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds. Websites and tabloids have taken it upon themselves to post every home address I’ve ever had online. You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things.
"Every day I try to remind myself of the good in the world, the love I’ve witnessed and the faith I have in humanity. We have to live bravely in order to truly feel alive, and that means not being ruled by our greatest fears."
Following the Vienna tour date cancellation, fans were concerned as to whether Swift's five upcoming shows in London's Wembley Stadium on August 15-20 would be affected.
But the concerts are set to go ahead, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.
"London plays host to a significant number of very high profile events each year with millions of visitors having a safe and enjoyable experience," a spokesperson told Sky News.
"The Met works closely with venue security teams and other partners to ensure there are appropriate security and policing plans in place.
"There is nothing to indicate the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have an impact on upcoming events here in London.
"As always, we will continue to keep any new information under careful review."
How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel
Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter
Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
Top 100
The Conversation (0)
x