6 highlights from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Europe: From Vienna terror plot to royal selfie

6 takeaways from the European leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

Taylor Swift wrapped up the European leg of her Eras Tour with a final record-breaking show in London's Wembley Stadium on August 20. The pop icon made history by becoming the first solo artist to play at Wembley eight times in a single tour as she returned to the stadium due to massive demands. The 'Anti-Hero' singer sang for millions of Swifties who flocked to the European continent from around the world. The two-year-long tour, which began in Glendale, Arizona, will come to an end in Vancouver, Canada, this December. Here are six takeaways from the Eras Tour in Europe, including her selfie with the British royals and a terrorist attack plot in Vienna.

1. Massive schedule

The Europen leg of the record-breaking Eras Tour kicked off on May 9 in Paris. Spanning countries across the continent, a total of 50 dates were scheduled in France, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Austria, Spain, and England. Taylor Swift's arrival in these countries resulted in a massive rise in demand for hotel and rental accommodation since the announcement of the show dates. Some places had to increase transport facilities around the center; for instance, Irish Rail had to add more late-night services to Limerick and Cork.

2. Swities generate earthquake-like seismic waves

The Eras Tour proved the power of Swifties as fans dancing in stadiums generated ground tremors equivalent to earthquakes. During her tour dates in Wembley Stadium from June 21 to 23, geophysicists recorded the seismic waves as Swifties danced immersed in the pop icon's voice. The shocking results suggested the seismic wave during her performance of 'Love Story' and 'Shake It Off' were equal to a 0.8 magnitude earthquake.

3. Royal snapshot with the Waleses

Taylor Swift grabbed a royal selfie before her performance at the Wembley Stadium in June. She posed with the Prince of Wales and her young fans, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Kensington Palace posted a picture of the 'Bad Blood' singer's selfie with the royals on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Thank you  @TaylorSwift for a great evening!" Swift shared another selfie on Instagram with the royal trio along with her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. 

4. Three girls killed in an attack at Taylor Swift-themed dance class

Taylor Swift's European leg of the Eras Tour had its own share of tragic stories. Before she landed in the UK on July 29, three young girls lost their lives after they were attacked at a Swift-themed dance class in Southport, as per The Guardian. Bebe King, 6, Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, were killed, and 10 others sustained injuries. Swift reportedly reached out to the victim's families. In a statement released after the horrific attack, Swift said she was "completely in shock" and "at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families." The pop icon also met with two survivors, Autumn and Hope Foster, at the backstage during one of her shows in Wembley.

5. Vienna shows axed after foiled terrorist plot

The most shocking moment in the Eras Tour in Europe was the terrorist plot in Vienna. Her concert in Stephansplatz, Vienna, set for August 8, 9, and 10, was canceled after Austrian police took into custody three individuals who were planning to carry out a terror attack at Swift's show. The police revealed that one of the detainees confessed that they planned to "kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue." Around 20,000 to 35,000 people without tickets were anticipated to assemble outside the Ernst Happel Stadium in Austria's capital for each of the three shows.

6. Taylor Swift's emotional words over cancellation of Vienna shows

Taylor Swift penned an emotional note after officially wrapping the European leg of her record-smashing tour, where she finally addressed the Vienna show cancellation two weeks after the terrorist plot was brought to light. In an Instagram post on August 22, she admitted the reason behind the cancellation filled her with "a new sense of fear." Her post read, "Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows."