Editor’s note: As Taylor Swift embarked on the final leg of her Eras Tour this week in Miami Gardens, Florida, CNN Senior Business Coordinator Cynthia Moss recalled her own post-tour adventures.
Vienna, Austria
CNN
—
After over a year of planning and dreaming of seeing the Eras Tour in person, I was singing my favorite Taylor Swift song surrounded by thousands of other Swifties.
The lyrics of “Death by a Thousand Cuts” are deeper than usual, however, as I was not at his concert at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. Instead, I was among a swarm of crying fans on Stephansplatz in downtown Vienna. The concert we had tickets for had been abruptly canceled less than 24 hours earlier due to credible reasons. threats of terrorist attack.
For hours, I sang Taylor Swift songs and exchanged bracelets with other somber fans in the square. My husband, Dan, and I had gone to see St. Stephen's Cathedral at the end of a week's vacation planned entirely around the Eras tour. That night we stumbled upon a large impromptu gathering to collectively mourn.
A year earlier, I had tried to buy tickets to one of Swift's three concerts in Atlanta, but was unsuccessful in getting them. Resale tickets were astronomically priced, even for the nosebleed seats. Never mind that I also had a 2-month-old breastfed baby, our second child, so I didn't think I could be away from him for five hours or more.
When the European leg of the tour was announced for summer 2024, my husband and I realized we could travel to a European city to see the Eras Tour for about the same price or less than the purchasing a resale ticket in the United States. a third-party seller.
Our children would also be 1 and 3 at this time, so we would be more comfortable leaving them with family. I requested presale codes in several European cities and only received one code for Vienna – and I successfully used my presale code to purchase floor seats for my husband and me.
But this trip wasn't just about Taylor Swift. This adventure would mark the first time I left my kids for the night and the first solo trip for my husband and I in four years. My mother and mother-in-law both agreed to travel to Atlanta from out of state to watch our kids for the week.
To ensure we had enough time to get to Vienna in case of a travel mishap, I strategically planned the Eras Tour to take place at the end of our week-long trip to Austria. Our vacation included the official Sound of Music tour of Salzburg, show singing on a tourist bus in the Austrian Alps; ride a cable car to Untersberg and hike to the summit; and visit Mozart's childhood home, all before heading to Vienna.
The day before the concert, I opened my phone to the Vienna Eras Tour Facebook group to see the announcement that all three Eras Tour shows in Vienna had been canceled due to the threat of a suspected terrorist attack. I rushed to check the news, finally confirming the cancellation and the arrest of the suspects.
I was devastated that I would never get the chance to see the Eras Tour, relieved that I hadn't been injured or traumatized by a terrorist attack, and pointed out that we had spent so much money to attend a event that did not take place.
The next day, we weren't sure what to do given rumors that potential suspects were still at large and local news sources discouraging people from wearing Taylor Swift merchandise in public. Ultimately, we decided to make the most of our last day abroad and visit St. Stephen's Cathedral.
When we came out of the metro station, we were surprised to see thousands of disappointed fans gathering to create their own Eras Tour. I immediately participated and immediately felt my spirits lifted by sharing stories, exchanging bracelets and singing with so many people experiencing the same emotions.
Still, I was crushed not to be able to see Swift live. There would be future tours, but this one included parts of his 11 studio albums, each associated with a different period of my life. His music has inspired me, given me confidence and helped me deal with a whole host of issues over the past 18 years. I was afraid that my relationship with my favorite artist would contain more heartache than joy. So when I got home I started scouring the internet for tickets to one of the latest North American shows. I wanted to go, even if it meant going alone.
The face value of my VIP seat in Vienna was $600. Seats in the same section for the remaining shows in the United States and Canada were up to $10,000. Even a nosebleed or partial view seat would cost $3,000 or more after fees. There was no way to justify paying these prices.
I finally checked StubHub to see what shows were left in London, the final stop on Swift's European tour. Prices were still higher than face value, but nothing compared to those in the United States and Canada. I realized I could buy a ticket, hotel, and flight to London for less than the cost of a one-way ticket to the United States.
In pictures: Taylor Swift's Eras tour
To my surprise, my husband and everyone I spoke to encouraged me to go solo. Within hours, I had everything booked and was heading back to Europe in less than 48 hours.
Unlike my trip to Austria, I flew to London without any plans. The day before I left, a giant tree fell on our house, punching holes in our kitchen and my daughter's bedroom.
Any spare time available was spent cleaning up water and debris, calling insurance agents, and feeling guilty about leaving my husband alone with our children while I went to England. He assured me I should go, reminding me that tickets and hotel were non-refundable. Despite all the tarps and buckets, I said goodbye to everyone and began my solo adventure.
I arrived in London early August 19 giving myself a day to adjust to the time difference and do some sightseeing. Being alone for the first time in years without any agenda was both exhilarating and terrifying. I also couldn't remember the last time I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted for an entire day.
After checking into my hotel, I walked through Hyde Park to Kensington Palace, where my aunt texted me about a special Taylor Swift exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
I loved walking the “Songbook Trail” exhibit, a mile-long journey with 13 stops winding through the museum. Each stop represented an era, showcasing outfits and memorabilia that the artist had worn in music videos, at concerts and at award shows.
The next day I left early to queue to get into Wembley Stadium. The ground tickets for the European leg of the tour had no seating and I wanted to get as close to the stage as possible. I got a seat in front of the diamond, the section of the stage where much of the show takes place. I was about 20 yards from the stage, crushed in a sea of Swifties covered in glitter and sequins.
As the dancers came out with giant fans, I could feel the excitement from everyone around me. I was still gripped by anxiety, fearing that after all the effort and money it had taken to get to this point, Swift wouldn't make it on stage. I had meticulously planned every detail of our trip to Austria, and it ended in chaos.
I couldn't believe my spontaneous adventure was real when the dancers pulled back their fans to reveal Swift in her bedazzled pink and orange bodysuit and boots. I felt a wave of relief and knew that achieving my dream to get to this point was worth it.
The show was as enchanting as I hoped and full of surprises. For the first time, Swift performed “Florida!!! » with Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine. (The song was my husband's favorite on Swift's new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” and I was sad he wouldn't get to see it performed live.)
Swift also brought in her writing partner and producer Jack Antonoff for the acoustic section to sing some of their favorite songs they had written together. When they started singing, I couldn't believe it. Swift launched straight into “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” my favorite song and the one I’ve been dreaming of hearing her perform for over a year.
Eleven days earlier, I was in Vienna singing this song and holding back tears thinking about how much I wanted to see her perform it, and now she was singing it right in front of me.
When the lights came on after the closing clip ended, I was filled with so much joy and gratitude that I was able – with the help of so many loved ones – to transform my own sadness and disappointment on the solo adventure of my life. Taylor Swift showcased 11 different eras of her life and career on this tour, and she inspired me to step into my own new era, embracing spontaneity and the unknown.
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