Taylor Swift fans selling Wembley tickets to those who missed Austria show

Taylor Swift's army of fans has sprung into action following the cancellation of her Vienna concerts - with UK-based fans selling tickets to the star's London show to her disappointed fans in Austria.

On Wednesday, Swift's three performances in Vienna, Austria, were cancelled amid fears of a terror attack. Event organiser Barracuda Music said there had been “confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium”.

Swift is due to return to the UK for a series of concerts and is next due to play five dates at Wembley Stadium between 15 August and 20 August.

As Scotland Yard is said to be looking at “all the intelligence” ahead of the gigs, kind-hearted fans are selling their tickets at face value so those who missed out on the Vienna shows can still experience a Taylor Swift concert.

Isabella Lindop, 18, from Kent, is selling a VIP ticket she bought for £599 to a fellow Swiftie who has missed out - for £400.

She told Yahoo News UK she was "devastated" and "in disbelief" when she heard about the cancellation of the Vienna gigs.

"The Eras tour felt like such a safe happy experience for me and was the place I felt safest," she said. "I was so upset that so many people would not get to experience that because of the disgusting cruelty of some people, however, I completely understood and supported the decision to cancel the shows as it was keeping everyone safe and was unfortunately necessary.

"I decided to sell my ticket because I've been lucky enough to have already been several times and am going to the other London shows and know how magical the Eras tour is. Everyone who was supposed to be in Vienna deserves that positive experience."

She said she would have been too anxious to attend the concert herself, but was keen her ticket went to someone who was facing having to miss out.

She also paid tribute to the community of Taylor Swift fans, saying: "In the years I’ve been a Swiftie it’s always felt like such an incredible community to me. Everyone has come together to support each other, especially following the attack in Southport. It really shows the sense of community Taylor has built and increases my trust in society."

Sarah Gangl, 30, was one of thousands of Swifties who would have seen the musician perform in Vienna. Gangl, a student, told Yahoo News she was looking forward to her first-ever Swift concert and won't be able to attend the London concerts next week.

The news of the cancellation of the concerts gave her “very mixed feelings”. “On the one hand, I’m very sad that the concert isn’t taking place,” she said. “On the other hand, I’m glad that it was cancelled and that something worse was prevented.”

Like other Swifties, Gangl made items to trade and gift to each other. She said: “I made about 20 bracelets and 80 rings by myself to give as gifts. I’ve also been planning my outfit since April.”

On Thursday morning, the day of the concert she was supposed to attend, he got dressed like she planned to and joined hundreds of other Swifties to hang out outside on Corneliusgasse (Cornelius Street) in Vienna, where they cried, sang, and danced,

She said: “It was hard but also a bit like therapy. In the evening, I spontaneously organised a Taylor Swift party, and we watched the Eras tour film.”

Police monitoring intelligence

Police are monitoring intelligence ahead of Taylor Swift's return to the UK for more concerts, with there said to be no reason to think suggest that matters being investigated in Vienna will have an impact on her London gigs.

A 19-year-old suspect was arrested in Ternitz, south of Vienna, and a second person in the Austrian capital.

The Austria Press Agency reported that Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria’s interior ministry, said authorities were aware of “preparatory actions” for a possible attack “and also that there is a focus by the 19-year-old perpetrator on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna”.

Ruf said the 19-year-old had pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Asked on LBC about the arrests of suspected extremists in Vienna and what this could mean for the final leg of Swift’s UK tour, policing minister Diana Johnson said: “Clearly, the police will be looking at all the intelligence and making decisions, they risk assess every event that happens in this country, and that’s something for the police."

She said Labour's commitment to Martyn's Law - which is named after 2017 Manchester Arena bombing victim Martyn Hett and is designed to help protect venues against terror attacks - would be brought forward by the government.

A Met Police spokesman said: “London plays host to a significant number of very high profile events each year with millions of visitors having a safe and enjoyable experience.

“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 that 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.”

Read more

• Taylor Swift Fan Who Traveled 'Over 5,700 Miles' to See Eras Tour in Vienna Reflects on Cancellation (Storyful)

• Factbox-What we know about the Taylor Swift concert plot suspects (Reuters)

• Khan: London will ‘carry on’ after suspected plot at Swift concerts in Vienna (PA Media)