Coldplay and Maggie Rogers perform Taylor Swift classic in Vienna after terror plot cancels shows
Coldplay and Maggie Rogers sweetly honored Taylor Swift with an acoustic performance of her hit song “Love Story” days after she was forced to cancel three Vienna shows due to a thwarted terror attack.
The “Viva La Vida” rock band, who are currently traveling on their Music of the Spheres world tour, were performing at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Wednesday (August 21) with opening act Rogers when they took a moment to pay tribute to Swift.
In a video of the moment posted to X, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, 47, can be heard addressing the crowd: “We haven’t mentioned that Vienna was in the news all over the world for all the wrong reasons. But what reached us was the beauty and the togetherness, and kindness of all of Taylor Swift’s fans.
“So we felt – of course, Taylor is in America, she’s not here – but we’re here, so we have to do the best we can do. So, I don’t want to let you think that we don’t care about Swifities in our band,” he adds before launching into a cover of Swift’s 2008 track.
Rogers, 30, shared a clip of their performance on Instagram alongside the caption: “From Vienna with love @coldplay @taylorswift.”
The thoughtful gesture has warmed Swift fans’ hearts, with several sharing their gratitude in the comment section.
“Thank you so so sooo much for performing this and healing a little bit the shredded Swiftie hearts,” one wrote.
A second praised: “The sweetness & serious generosity of this, (given that Taylor was unable to play), is so genuine.”
“I would have bawled if I was there!!!” a third added, while another said: “Truly the best of both worlds.”
Swift was scheduled to bring her record-breaking Eras Tour to Vienna on August 8, 9 and 10. However, before her first show, Austrian authorities arrested three suspects who had planned a major attack on one of the performances. All three concerts were subsequently canceled.
According to reports, the suspects, aged 17, 18 and 19, were planning “to kill as many people as possible” at the shows, which expected 65,000 people to attend inside the venue and a further 30,000 outside.
The 34-year-old “Cruel Summer” singer has since broken her silence over the foiled terror attack.
“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,” Swift wrote on Instagram.
“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives. I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together.”
Explaining why she stayed silent on the terror threats, Swift said she believed speaking out might “provoke those who would want to harm the fans.”
“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that,” she added.
Swift recently played her final Wembley Stadium show, bringing an end to the European and UK leg of her tour. Following a brief hiatus, she will travel to Canada for her last dates on her Eras Tour.
