Rocked by cancellation of Vienna concerts, Swifties shake it off and flock to London

LONDON (AP) — For Herve Tram, being a Taylor Swift fan isn’t just about the music.

The 28-year-old computer network engineer from Paris sees himself as part of a community, one of the Swifties as they are known. So when the pop superstar's shows in Vienna were canceled last week because of a terror threat, Tram took a small personal step: He gave away two extra tickets to her upcoming concerts in London to two fans who missed the chance to see their guiding light in the Austrian capital.

“That’s the power of this fandom,’’ Tram said. “We look (out) for each other.’’

The community of Swift fans, who have flocked to stadiums around the world to see the 3 1/2-hour shows on her Eras Tour and sing along with songs they know by heart, have been shaken in recent days.

First, a knife-wielding attacker murdered three little girls at a Swift-themed dance class in northern England, touching off a week of anti-immigrant unrest across the U.K. after right-wing activists spread misinformation about the suspect. Then the shows in Vienna were canceled after police arrested three Islamic State-inspired extremists they believed were planning to attack the concert venue.

But none of that has damped fans’ enthusiasm to see Swift during five shows Thursday through Tuesday at London’s Wembley Stadium that will close out the European leg of the Eras Tour. The fans want to wear Swift-inspired outfits, swap handmade friendship bracelets and, of course, dance.

Take Meagan Berneaud, 30, of Columbus, Ohio, who has been a Swift fan since she was 13.

Berneaud had second thoughts about traveling to London after recent events reminded her of the 2 1/2 hours she spent locked down during a 2016 terror attack at Ohio State University. But she decided to go and even set up a thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, to connect fans who missed the Vienna shows with people who were willing to sell or give away tickets to the London concerts. She’s had more than 3,000 views.

“I just have to tell myself not to live in fear,’’ she said. “I have to put my trust ... that law enforcement can do their best to keep us safe.’’

Some fans who had planned to see the show in Vienna were willing to overcome their anxieties to try to attend another show, taking encouragement from Swift’s song, “Fearless.″

"And I don’t know why.

But with you I’d dance in a storm.

In my best dress.

Fearless."

It's a number that she belts out while swirling and twirling in an assortment of sparkly frocks in the song’s music video.

Presila Koleva, 26, a design engineer from Cambridge, England, had been looking forward to seeing Swift in Vienna for more than a year, buying a copy of a green dress that Swift wears during the Folklore set on the Eras tour and making 30 bracelets to trade with other fans. She was heartbroken when the shows were canceled.

But then she connected with Tram, who gave her one of his tickets. That dress will be worn.

“There (are) good people that will do something nice for someone that they don’t know, just because they’ve seen that they’ve been through this really awful situation,’’ she said. “It could have ended in such a bad way.’’

The enthusiasm of Swift’s fans and a set list that includes more than 40 songs from all phases of her career have helped make the Eras Tour the biggest revenue earner of all time, with more than $1 billion in ticket sales last year, according to Pollstar Boxoffice, which collects data on the live music industry. The tour is expected to push that record to more than $2 billion before it ends later this year in Indianapolis.

Demand for the London concerts shows no signs of slacking, with ticket prices hitting thousands of pounds on unregulated sites.

With Swift’s tour coming to an end in Europe and youthful fans who have flexible schedules, especially during the summer, recent events won’t hurt demand for tickets to the London shows, said Rafi Mohammed, an expert on pricing strategies and founder of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based consultancy Culture of Profit.

“If anything, you have three sold out concerts in Vienna that were canceled. This coupled with the end of the tour, you’ll likely see extra demand,” he said.

Even so, security is a concern.

London’s Metropolitan Police Service has tried to offer assurances, pointing out that it has learned lessons from the 2017 attack on an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena that killed 22 people and injured hundreds more.

Organizers have promised “additional ticket checks" at the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium, which prohibits concert goers from bringing anything much bigger than a tiny bag into the venue. Those without tickets will be moved away from the stadium.

“London is a big city. We’re used to putting on all of these events,’’ said Tracy Halliwell, the head of tourism for Visit London. “You’ll see there is a higher police presence on the ground and that’s really just to make sure that everything … runs smoothly.”

For his part, Tram is focused on what the fans can do, recalling how Parisians responded after the attack on the Bataclan theater in 2015 to show that terror would not succeed.

“We saw hundreds of thousands of people go out into the streets to show they are not afraid, and I think that we (will) also see that in London,” he said. “Fans will show they are not afraid. And like Taylor said, we are fearless.”

Kristina Broclebanl, left and Max Avatar Barnett who are Taylor Swift fans pose by a portrait of Swift painted on a stairway at Wembley Stadium in London, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, ahead of a series of Taylor Swift concerts starting Thursday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Kristina Broclebanl, left and Max Avatar Barnett who are Taylor Swift fans pose by a portrait of Swift painted on a stairway at Wembley Stadium in London, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, ahead of a series of Taylor Swift concerts starting Thursday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Police patrol around Wembley Stadium in London, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, ahead of a series of Taylor Swift concerts starting Thursday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A family look at a Taylor Swift merchandise kiosk at Wembley Stadium in London, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, ahead of a series of Taylor Swift concerts starting Thursday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Fans pose by a Taylor Swift portrait painted on a stairway at Wembley Stadium in London, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, ahead of a series of Taylor Swift concerts starting Thursday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Francesca Abela, right, and Kylie Micallef both from Malta show off their Taylor Swift merchandise they have just purchased at Wembley Stadium in London, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, ahead of attending Swift's concert at Wembley on Thursday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Fans pose by a Taylor Swift portrait painted on a stairway at Wembley Stadium in London, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, ahead of a series of Taylor Swift concerts starting Thursday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Light hearted information board seen at Wembley Park tube station in London, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 based upon the songs and lyrics by Taylor Swift, ahead of a series of concerts by Swift at Wembley stadium. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Light hearted information board at Wembley Park tube station in London, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, based upon the songs and lyrics by Taylor Swift, ahead of a series of concerts by Swift at Wembley stadium. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A cyclist passes by new mural portrait of Taylor Swift designed by Kate Clayton as it is unveiled in Shoreditch in east London, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A new mural portrait of Taylor Swift designed by Kate Clayton, who poses next to it, as it is unveiled in Shoreditch in east London, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A new mural portrait of Taylor Swift designed by Kate Clayton, who poses next to it, as it is unveiled in Shoreditch in east London, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

People look at a new mural portrait of Taylor Swift designed by Kate Clayton which was unveiled in Shoreditch in east London, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Pedestrians walk past a new mural portrait of Taylor Swift designed by Kate Clayton which was unveiled in Shoreditch in east London, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A pedestrian walks past a new mural portrait of Taylor Swift designed by Kate Clayton which was unveiled in Shoreditch in east London, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Two years ago, food cart worker Fathima Shiyama had to wait in line, sometimes for days, to get cooking gas, fuel and other essentials. It was a test of patience for her and millions of other Sri Lankans as their country languished in economic and political chaos.

Since then, under President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the South Asian island nation's economy has begun a fragile recovery. As the country gears up for a crucial presidential vote, key economic indicators have improved and there are no shortages of food and fuel. Inflation is almost under control after peaking at 70%.

Sri Lankans who usually vote along religious and ethnic lines will be keeping the state of the economy in mind when they vote Saturday on a new president. Many are still struggling, borrowing money or leaving the country to cope with rising living costs and limited opportunities.

Shiyama says she isn’t still earning enough to cover her monthly expenses and pay for her ailing daughter’s medical tests. In desperation, she has turned to borrowing from loan sharks at an exorbitant 20% interest rate.

“We are trying our best to survive despite many difficulties,” said the 48-year-old mother of five, as she was selling “string hopper” noodles and coconut “pittu,” popular traditional dinner items, from a cart on the outskirts of Colombo.

As Sri Lanka sank into economic collapse in 2022, a popular uprising led its then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.

This weekend's election pits his successor, Wickremesinghe, against opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Anura Dissanayake, leader of a Marxist-led coalition that has been gaining popularity. Poll results are due Sunday.

All the candidates have promised to lead Sri Lanka into a prosperous future by developing new industries, improving agriculture, broadening the tax base to increase revenue and creating tens of thousands of new jobs.

Under Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka has been negotiating with the international creditors to restructure the country's staggering debt and get the economy back on track. The International Monetary Fund approved a four-year bailout program last year, but many Sri Lankans are unhappy over the government’s efforts to increase revenue by raising electricity rates and imposing heavy taxes on professionals and businesses, to meet IMF conditions for its assistance.

Overall conditions have improved after the long dry spell during and after the pandemic. Vital tourism earnings have risen and the Sri Lankan rupee has recovered. But rising prices due to the government's austerity measures are squeezing many households.

“We are in a very critical time” said Murtaza Jafferjee, an economic analyst and chairman of Advocata Institute, a Colombo-based independent policy think tank.

"The economy is looking up,” he said, but has not fully recovered. The government should aim for at least 4% growth this year, instead of its target of 3%. Politicians need to focus on policies that don't just benefit the country's elite, Jafferjee said.

“It is high time that we run this country for the benefit of the 22 million people,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis began well before the upheavals of 2022.

Staggering economic mismanagement by successive governments was compounded by poor policy choices and then the pandemic. Rajapaksa pushed through big tax cuts in 2019. Then, he banned imports of chemical fertilizer to preserve Sri Lanka’s scarce foreign reserves, hurting crop yields in a a country largely dependent on agriculture.

With the war in Ukraine, food and fuel prices surged and fuel, cooking gas, medicine and food ran short. Sri Lankans lined up for government rice handouts and charity meals.

Today, inflation has dropped below 5% and there's no need to line up to buy essentials. But key parts of the economy remain in crisis.

Jagath Dissanayake said conditions remain dire for his construction firm in Gampaha, a town located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Colombo after prices of building materials tripled. Most of Dissanayake projects are suspended and he had to lay off two-thirds of his employees.

“People have no money to do new construction as they give priority to buying essentials. We hardly get any new work," Dissanayake said.

His income is down almost 75%, he said, so there is no more dining out and Dissanayake rides a motorbike instead of driving a car, to save money on fuel.

“Of course, there are no queues for petrol anymore, but we don't have enough money to buy it.” he said.

Sri Lanka’s construction industry has shed about 400,000 jobs in the last four years, according to some estimates. Once a booming industry that contributed nearly 12% to the country’s growth figures, its share has dropped to 7% this year.

Many Sri Lankans have sought jobs abroad.

Viraj Maduranga, formerly a teacher in a government school, went to Dubai in 2021 to find work when he became unable to repay loans he had taken to build his house and buy a vehicle.

“Either I had to sell off the house and the car, or find an alternative income. So, I decided to leave. It was not an easy decision for me and my wife, but we have to make sacrifices to build our lives,” said Maduranga, who now works as a teacher in Dubai and won’t be able to vote in the election.

Not everyone is impressed with the promises made by the candidates in this election.

“We have seen it in the past, politicians saying various things, but when they come into power they have simply ignored what they have said during campaigns,” said W.A. Wijewardena, an economic analyst and former deputy governor of Sri Lanka's central bank.

Jafferjee, the economic analyst, said the election is “extremely crucial” for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery. The next president should use his executive powers to “enact pro-consumer policies" and be more open to trade.

“This (crisis) is not insurmountable, but you need to make unpopular choices. What you need basically is a president who looks to grow the pie," said Jafferjee.

In the meantime, Sri Lankans like Maduranga are impatiently waiting for change.

He longs to rejoin his wife and 8-year-old son in Sri Lanka, but still needs to repay his loans.

“This is not the best time to go back," Maduranga said. “I want to live in Sri Lanka as a free man without being indebted to anyone.”

Saaliq reported from New Delhi.

Indian tourists pose for a photograph on a beach in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

FILE - Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe waves to supporters as he arrives to address a public election rally in Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)

Members of a construction crew take a break from work at the Colombo port, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A woman buys fruits from a stall at a local wholesale market, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Workers pull a hand cart loaded with sacks of vegetables through a wholesale market in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A man sells plastic bags on a street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Election posters showing portraits of National People's Power's presidential candidate Anura Dissanayake, are pasted on the kitchen walls of an eatery where a cook prepares food for customers in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Jagath Dissanayake, owner of a private construction firm, supervises work at a building site in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A man sits next to election posters of opposition leader Sajith Premadasa as he gets a shave from a roadside barber in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A couple walks past an election poster showing a portrait of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Fathima Shiyama, 48, waits for customers next to her food cart in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Fathima Shiyama, 48, prepares local delicacies at home, to be sold later from her food cart, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Fathima Shiyama, 48, who sells food on a mobile cart to support her five children, speaks to the Associated Press at her residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A bird flies past gantry cranes working at the Colombo port, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)