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LONDON (Reuters) – Fans arriving for a Taylor Swift concert in London on Thursday said the solidarity of the sisters helped allay their safety concerns following the cancellation of her Vienna concert last week.
The American singer-songwriter will return to London for five shows before her Record-Breaking Era Tour returns to North America.
“It’s great to see you at Wembley Stadium in London,” she told the 92,000 cheering fans inside the stadium, according to video clips posted on social media.
Three of her shows in Vienna were cancelled after a long-planned attack was thwarted by authorities, leaving around 195,000 fans in grief, anger and disbelief.
Some rushed to buy tickets for the London concert, which were selling for around 690 pounds ($886) on resale websites.
Iggy Wilde, 28, said she never considered selling her ticket after the security scare in Vienna.
“I think it’s concerning. Obviously, it’s concerning,” she said. “My main feeling is that Swifties have come together and there’s a real sense of solidarity among us, and I think that makes me less afraid.”
Salsha Radiandina, a 24-year-old student in London, said she had researched the venue’s security and felt reassured by the extra measures taken.
“For Taylor Swift fans, we have our own network, our own fan clubs, and so on,” she said. “So we make sure everyone feels safe when they watch Taylor Swift’s show.”
Fans arrived at Wembley dressed in sequined outfits, cowboy hats and friendship bracelets on their arms, ready to exchange with other Swift fans.
Security personnel check spectators’ tickets before they line up to enter the stadium.
Although British police said there was no indication that the Vienna incident would affect the performance at Wembley Stadium, it can be seen that security at the stadium was very tight.
Thousands of people gathered without tickets at a performance in Munich last month, a practice that will not be allowed as authorities seek to reduce risks that are more difficult to control outside performance venues.
Fans will have to pass through metal detectors and are only allowed to bring one small bag. Glass and metal containers, laptops and umbrellas are not allowed.
Swift has not yet commented publicly on the Vienna incident, but she has said in the past that her biggest concern is the risk to her fans following the bombing at the Manchester Arena in northern England and the Las Vegas concert shooting following an Ariana Grande concert in 2017.
Fans traveled around the world to see Eras on tour, the most profitable tour in the band’s history.
Pamela Weaver, a 43-year-old industrial engineer, flew to London from Guatemala via Miami with her husband and two daughters to meet Swift.
“I’m not sure I would do that for anyone else,” she said before boarding her second flight.
“We have friends who travel thousands of miles to different countries like Argentina and Brazil to hear concerts because there are no concerts in Guatemala.”
She bought the London tickets from a friend because she couldn’t find affordable tickets elsewhere. She added that resale tickets for Miami in October were going for about $2,000 each.
The tickets were a Christmas present for her daughter. “When I gave the tickets to my daughter, she cried. She was so excited… She knew every song, like all the lyrics to every song,” she said.
($1 = 0.7785 GBP)
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