Viral Post of Woman Seeking Refund for Taylor Swift’s Vienna Concert Resurfaces After Five Years

Three sold-out Eras Tour shows in Vienna were canceled due to terror attack threats. A video of a woman demanding a refund is not related to Taylor Swift.

Three sold-out Taylor Swift Eras Tour concerts in Vienna, Austria, were canceled on Aug. 7 after authorities foiled an apparent terror plot. According to officials, two teenagers inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida were behind the deadly plan and taken into custody.

Concert organizers stood by their decision to cancel, citing the expected presence of up to 65,000 fans inside the stadium at each concert and as many as 30,000 onlookers outside. Authorities identified these locations as the targets of the suspects.

Following the cancellations, a video clip went viral on X showing an enraged individual demanding a refund. Although it garnered over 700,000 views, the video has since been deleted.

The clip featured a person claiming they paid for flights and accommodations, demanding, “Who is going to pay that to me? Who?” A caption on the video declared, “i, like many austrians, just #scammedbytaylorswift we need flights refunded, hotel refunds NOW!!!! taylor nation!!!”

Commenters expressed outrage at the demand for travel refunds amid a foiled terror attack, while others noted the video’s age and criticized sharing it.

THE QUESTION

Does the viral video clip show a Taylor Swift fan demanding a refund for travel costs after the Vienna shows were canceled?

THE ANSWER

No, the viral video clip doesn’t show a Taylor Swift fan demanding a refund for travel costs after the Vienna shows were canceled.

WHAT WE FOUND

The video is actually five years old and unrelated to Taylor Swift. It features Spanish artist Marta Gutiérrez reacting to a bad experience at a Britney Spears meet-and-greet in 2018.

Using forensic tools, VERIFY traced the video to an August 2018 YouTube post by Gutiérrez following her Paris encounter with Spears. In both the viral and original videos, Gutiérrez is seen in the same setting, wearing the same outfit, and making the same statements.

Gutiérrez’s frustration stemmed from being asked to leave for standing too close to Spears during a photo session, not from any connection to Swift. This context recalibrates the viral narrative.

Taylor Swift was never mentioned in the original video. The Vienna concerts’ cancellation was solely for safety, as confirmed by Barracuda Music on Instagram. They assured ticket refunds, with Austrian rail operator OeBB also reimbursing unused train tickets.