Taylor Swift's UK Security Bill of Nearly $1MILLION Footed by Taxpayer — After She Demanded Blue-Light Escort Days Following Thwarting of Vienna Terror Plot
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour shows in the UK ended up costing a considerable amount of money to pay for extra security.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the sold-out London concerts cost the Met nearly $1million of taxpayers' money on police protection following a bomb threat at a previous show in Vienna.
The Metropolitan Police Service in London faced a considerable financial burden of over $880,000 to provide security for Taylor's concerts in the city. The cost escalated by almost $200,000 due to additional security measures requested by Swift's team, which included a police escort with specialist outriders.
Policing expenses for the Eras Tour's eight sell-out shows increased significantly, from $85,000 per night in June to nearly $126,000 per night upon the singer's return in August.
This surge of 45% was attributed to heightened security concerns for the 34-year-old singer following the cancellation of three concerts in Vienna due to a bomb plot.
The demand for a police escort with specialist outriders was made by the singer's team, led by her mother and manager, Andrea.
Andrea went as far as threatening to cancel the August dates if the security measures were not met. Canceling the shows would have reportedly caused a massive negative impact on the UK's live music economy and led to hundreds of thousands of disappointed Swifties.
Taylor's mom directly negotiated with government officials, including a former aide to Keir Starmer, Sue Gray, for the provision of the blue-light escort. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also got involved, urging the Metropolitan Police to be flexible in their approach.
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The Anti-Hero singer had to cancel three shows in Vienna after a small group of ISIS-inspired suspects plotted to launch a suicide attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium venue where she was set to perform.
Vienna police said the suspects had friends hired as security for the event. The three suspects – aged 19, 17, and 15 – reportedly planned to "bomb the gig and mow down fans" before the terror suicide plot was foiled by U.S. intelligence and Europol.
Knives and machetes were also said to be included in the botched ISIS-inspired attack plans.
Police statistics highlight the significant financial resources allocated to ensure the safety and security of the Bad Blood singer's concerts, making them one of the most expensive events to police in the past year.
Taylor's price tag compared to the security costs for Harry Styles' sold-out performances at Wembley Stadium shows a stark contrast, the former One Direction singer's four-night run cost a total of $277,000, approximately $69,000 per night.
Harry later reimbursed $69,000 of the security costs incurred.
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