Pittsburgh-area Taylor Swift fans make best of canceled Austria Eras Tour shows
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Thousands of Taylor Swift fans from around the world, including Pittsburgh, are coming together in Vienna, Austria, despite her concerts getting canceled due to an alleged planned terrorist attack on the stadium.
Christina McLachlan from Bellevue and Victoria Deardorff from Peters Township traveled to Austria to see Swift in concert. They told KDKA-TV that they were disappointed, sad, confused and worried. But they're making the best of it.
"Taylor Swift has been one of my favorite artists for 18 years now. So, I was really, really excited to see her again," said McLachlan.
"We put so much time and money and energy into making this trip, and we were looking forward to it so much," Deardorff said.
McLachlan, Deardorff and two of their other friends booked their trip two weeks ago. They were supposed to be belting out Swift's songs at her concert on Thursday evening. But all three sold-out Eras Tour shows were called off after the Austrian government uncovered what it called an ISIS-inspired terror plot aimed at the concerts.
"We were actually a little scared because we were like this has to be a pretty big, serious threat in order for it to be canceled. So, a lot of disappointment, but also very relieved that everyone is safe. The more we learn about the planned attacks, the more we relieved we are that the concert didn't happen because it became more and more scary as more information came out," McLachlan said.
"The Swifties have rallied, and we are making the most of a very unfortunate situation. We're still having a good time," Deardorff said.
The four friends spent Thursday night at an epic Swift-inspired dance party at a rooftop bar in Vienna, singing and dancing to her iconic songs, and of course, exchanging friendship bracelets.
"It's honestly like a mini–Taylor Swift concert. We've got bracelets galore. It's the most beautiful view of the city of Vienna, and it is as the kids would say, the vibes are immaculate," said McLachlan.
"Everyone is still wearing their concert outfits. Everyone's dressed up. We all have the bracelets on. We have the 13 tattoos on, and we're just we're having a good time still," said Deardorff.
Another Pittsburgh-area Swiftie, Stephanie Dean, sent videos of fans gathering in the streets of the European city, showing their support for Swift.
After spending thousands of dollars on travel, hotels and food, McLachlan said they'll at least get a full refund for their concert tickets.
Deardorff and McLachlan might look into tickets in another city. They say for many people, it's so much more than just a concert.
"It represented friendship and love and community, and you can't take those things away. We're still together, and we're still safe. And you know, we're still building our friendships, and we're meeting new people. And we're seeing the world," Deardorff said.
"They messed with the wrong group of people. Swifties are very, very big fans. We are loyal," said McLachlan.