WATCH: Defiant Swifties sing their hearts out in Vienna after foiled terror plot
Taylor Swift fans took to the streets of Austriaâs capital to sing, hug and cry their hearts out after three of Swiftâs concerts were cancelled following a foiled terrorist plot.
The defiant Swifties gathered in central Vienna on Corneliusgasse, a street name that echoes Cornelia Street, the title of one of Swiftâs tracks on the 2019 album Lover. The song refers to a street in New York Cityâs Greenwich Village, where Swift rented a luxury apartment in 2016 and fans now visit to take selfies.

The small thoroughfare played host to hundreds of fans who gathered together to commiserate about the Eras Tour cancellations, trade friendship bracelets and sing their favourite Swift tunes. Video of the impromptu gathering was posted to social media, showing throngs of fans standing together, raising their voices in harmony.
Photos taken of the gathering showed dozens of homemade friendship bracelets, bearing lyrics and titles of Swift songs, hanging from trees. One police officer had his uniform decorated with bracelets.

Up to 65,000 fans were expected to attend Swiftâs sold-out concerts at Ernst Happel Stadium each night, with as many as 30,000 non-ticket-holders expected to congregate outside the venue. The shows were supposed to take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Concert organizers abruptly cancelled all three shows on Wednesday after Austrian authorities foiled a planned terrorist attack believed to be inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. A 19-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested Wednesday in connection with the attack. An 18-year-old was arrested Thursday after allegedly being in contact with one of the suspects.
One of the suspects confessed to planning to âkill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.â Chemicals and bomb-making materials were found at one of the suspectsâ homes, authorities said.
As it started to rain on Thursday, some of the fans who gathered on Corneliusgasse dispersed. Swifties took to the streets again on Friday.
One fan who flew to Vienna from the U.K. told the BBC that the atmosphere of Thursdayâs gathering was âsombre but also excited.â
âItâs a really strange situation and I think the ultimate thing we feel is just grateful that weâre safe and that everyone else is safe,â she said. âA bit of a mixed bag of emotions.â

But it wasnât just Corneliusgasse that played host to the resilient Swifties; numerous establishments across Vienna opened their doors to despondent fans, including local museums that offered free admission and restaurants and coffee shops offering free food and drinks.
Kristi Hovington, an educator and school librarian from Barcelona, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that a local church played Swift songs throughout the day to give Swifties a place to gather.