Taylor Swift: NI fans in Vienna London bound

Fans from Northern Ireland who had tickets for Taylor Swift’s gigs in Vienna have expressed their relief after they were cancelled due to a security threat.

Police in the Austrian capital said a teenager had planned to kill “a large crowd of people” in a suicide attack at a concert.

Close to 200,000 people had tickets for Swift’s three sold-out shows at the Ernst Happel Stadium.

Among them was Seema Shirazi, from Carrickfergus, who said she was “bitterly disappointed” but understood why precautions were taken.

She arrived in Vienna on Wednesday with her best friend Bethany Marthaler, who is from Dromara.

It was Bethany’s mother who broke the news about the cancellation.

Fans who were expected to attend the concerts were told they would get their money back.

The company that Seema bought her tickets from offered her a refund 20% greater than the original price of the ticket as credit for a future gig.

This meant she could quickly buy tickets for Swift’s London concert next Thursday in Wembley.

“I bought the cheapest but best seats available, we are determined to go no matter what,” she told BBC News NI.

Scott Adams from Belfast also had plans to attend the Vienna show with his fiancée on Saturday.

The couple was due to fly out on Friday morning but decided not to go after hearing the news.

The flights were non-refundable, he said, and they had chosen a no-cancellation option when booking the hotel.

They were told they did not qualify for exceptional circumstances because the city is still considered safe in light of the police action.

Scott told BBC News NI even though they could have travelled, he did not feel in the right frame of mind to visit Austria.

“We would rather be sad and disappointed than scared if we were there,” he outlined.

“If we were there and it [an attack on the concert] happened, it would be far worse than what we were feeling now.”

Before flying back to Belfast on Saturday night, Seema and Bethany said they will travel into Vienna city centre and join other Swift fans.

Seema said she has friendship bracelets ready to give out to people; something that the American star’s fans regularly do at concerts after being inspired by her song, You’re on Your Own Kid.

“I feel if I let this bring me down, then I am letting the people that did this win and I don’t want to do that,” Seema said.