Police kept a watchful eye as hundreds of Taylor Swift fans gathered and sang her songs in the Austrian capital Thursday, their dreams of watching her perform live abruptly dashed.
Three sold-out concerts in Vienna, part of Swift's Eras Tours show, were cancelled by organizers after officials announced arrests over an apparent plot to attack her shows, saying they appeared to be inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.
The Ernst Happel Stadium, where up to 65,000 fans had been expected, sat empty Thursday aside from media filming outside. Later in the day on Corneliusgasse — a small street just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the stadium — fans flocked to trade friendship bracelets and commiserate about the cancelations. The beaded bracelets, typically bearing Swift’s song titles or popular phrases, are usually swapped at concerts with strangers.
The fans gathered on Corneliusgasse because the street name echoes “Cornelia Street,” the name of a contemplative synth-pop track...
