Taylor Swift’s hands shook uncontrollably backstage at Wembley Stadium. Hours before facing 90,000 fans, she had met families devastated by a knife attack on children at a dance class themed around her music. This moment captured the tension of her record-breaking Eras Tour, which grossed over $2 billion but nearly unraveled amid tragedy and terror threats.
Tragedies Strike Close to Home
On July 29, 2024, a 17-year-old entered the Hart Space studio in Southport, England, during a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop for 26 children aged six to 13. Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, were killed. Ten others, including two adults who intervened, suffered injuries.
Swift expressed her horror on Instagram the following day, stating she was completely in shock and at a loss for words to convey her sympathies to the families.
Weeks later, Austrian authorities arrested three Islamic State-linked suspects plotting to bomb her Vienna concerts, aiming to kill tens of thousands, including many Americans, according to CIA Deputy Director David Cohen. The main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian who pledged allegiance to ISIS, had accessed the venue. All three shows, set to draw 200,000 fans, were canceled on August 6.
Terror Plot Rattles the Tour
In the Disney+ documentary The End of an Era, Swift reflected on the Vienna threat with visible distress. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined facing a terrorist plot, she said. We dodged a massacre situation, she added, her voice breaking.
The cancellations instilled a new fear and guilt over disappointed fans. After 20 years performing, the constant worry for her audience’s safety was unprecedented. Mentally, being afraid that something is going to happen to your fans at any moment—that’s new, she explained. She learned to lock away her anxiety before shows, as audiences could sense any shift in her energy.
Approaching her final five European shows at Wembley in August 2024, Swift filmed herself at the Rosewood Hotel, her voice trembling. After 128 performances, these felt like skating on thin ice. She referenced the Southport attack on little kids and broke down in tears.
Before each Wembley show, she met privately with Southport survivors and families backstage. Footage shows her wiping tears, vowing to compose herself. Her mother, Andrea, later affirmed, I know you don’t like it, but I know you helped them.
After one meeting, Swift returned to her dressing room shaking. Andrea comforted her with tissues as she confessed, I’m trying to calm down. My hands are shaking. Ed Sheeran arrived as a surprise guest, providing timely support, which Andrea called just what the doctor ordered.
For three-and-a-half hours nightly, Swift delivered 44 to 46 songs, compartmentalizing her emotions. You lock it off, she said. They don’t have to worry about you. I’m at the Eras Tour, everything is fine. Her eight Wembley nights drew 753,112 fans, making it her most-performed venue.
Record-Breaking Triumph
The Eras Tour concluded in Vancouver on December 8, 2024, with $2,077,618,725 in revenue from 149 sold-out shows across 21 countries, selling 10,168,008 tickets at an average $204 each—surpassing the industry norm of $131. It doubled Elton John’s previous record of $939 million over 330 shows, averaging $13.9 million per night.
All shows sold out, with resale prices soaring, though merchandise sales—handled via early stadium booths—were excluded from totals. Pollstar confirmed Swift as the first solo artist to sell over 10 million tickets on one tour.
The documentary premiered its first two episodes on Disney+ on December 12, 2025—one year after the finale—with Swift attending a New York screening alongside her family and crew. The six-episode series details the tour’s creation, triumphs, and shadows, including her mother encouraging her romance with Travis Kelce, which led to their engagement announced August 26, 2025.
Legal Aftermath and Lasting Impact
Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to the Southport murders and 10 attempted murders. Judge Julian Goose described it as the most extreme, shocking, and exceptionally serious crime, sentencing him to 52 years. Families recalled their daughters crafting friendship bracelets and singing Swift songs moments before the attack.
The Vienna suspects remained in pre-trial detention, with a fourth minor charged later. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer praised early detection that prevented tragedy.
What began as fans trading friendship bracelets and reliving 18 years of hits—from Love Story to I Can Do It With a Broken Heart—tested Swift’s endurance. Backstage, she confided to her mother, People have completely forgotten I am a human being. On August 15, she took Wembley’s stage amid heightened security, delivering a flawless show as fans roared support. The tour’s legacy endures as a testament to perseverance, with future performances carrying the weight of these close calls.
Sources:
2024 Southport stabbings – Wikipedia
Taylor Swift ‘in shock’ after stabbing rampage at English children’s dance class leaves three dead and more injured – CNN
Plan to attack Taylor Swift’s Vienna shows intended to kill thousands, CIA official claims – PBS NewsHour
C.I.A. Warning Helped Thwart ISIS Attack at Taylor Swift Concert in Vienna – The New York Times
Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour Wraps as First Tour to Pass $2 Billion in Sales – Billboard
DISNEY+ AND TAYLOR SWIFT HOST SPECIAL SCREENING OF FIRST TWO EPISODES OF UPCOMING