August 15th 2024.
I was sitting with my friends in my flat, enjoying a lazy afternoon, when my phone suddenly lit up with a notification. My heart sank as I read the words that no music lover ever wants to see: Taylor Swift's Vienna concerts cancelled due to terror threats.
Fear immediately gripped me as I remembered the tragic events of May 22, 2017. That was the day my life changed forever. I was at the Manchester Arena when a terrorist attack took place, leaving me with 29 injuries and taking the life of my best friend, Nell Jones.
My body was covered in shrapnel wounds, resembling those of a soldier in a warzone. I spent over five weeks in the hospital and underwent 19 surgeries before finally being discharged in 2019.
Nell and I were just two 14-year-old girls when we attended that concert. We shared a love for Ariana Grande and all things pop music. We had been eagerly planning every detail of our concert experience, from our hairstyles to our outfits. We even had the setlist saved on our phones. The anticipation was almost as exciting as the show itself.
This feeling of excitement and anticipation is something I still remember vividly, even after seven years. And it's a feeling that was shared by all the young Taylor fans who were eagerly awaiting her Vienna concerts before they were cancelled due to a foiled terror plot.
A 19-year-old had been arrested for pledging allegiance to IS and planning to attack the concert with explosives and knives. My heart aches at the thought of another potential tragedy at a music venue. But thankfully, this plot was discovered and prevented, saving the lives of 195,000 people who were expected to attend Taylor's concert.
I can only imagine the disappointment and fear that the Taylor fans in Vienna must be feeling right now. And I know that concert-goers around the world must also be feeling anxious about their safety. As someone who has gone through a similar experience, I understand these fears all too well.
But despite my own struggles with physical and mental recovery, there was one thing I was always certain of - my love for concerts would never waver. I had been attending concerts since I was seven years old, starting with Miley Cyrus in 2009. I can still feel the bass pulsing through my veins and the euphoria of hearing live music that I had only ever listened to on my CD player.
My family and I are concert enthusiasts, always on the lookout for upcoming shows for our favorite artists. So when my sister, Georgia, asked me if she could attend the One Love Manchester concert after the attack, I was initially hesitant. But as I recovered and gained a new perspective, I realized that we couldn't let hate and fear stop us from enjoying the things we love.
And so, only seven months after the attack, my family and I attended a concert of my favorite artist, Harry Styles, in Manchester. I won't lie, I was a little overwhelmed and scared on the way there. But as soon as Harry took the stage, all those fears disappeared, and I was lost in the music and the energy of the crowd.
Being at that concert, surrounded by people who shared the same love and appreciation for music, was the best feeling in the world. And it's a feeling that everyone should experience, regardless of the unpredictable and scary world we live in.
Life is too short to let fear hold us back from having the time of our lives, dancing and singing along with thousands of others. And I know that Nell, my best friend who lost her life that tragic night, would want me to live my life to the fullest, especially when attending Taylor's concert at Wembley.
So as I prepare to attend her concert next week, I urge everyone to look out for one another. Reach out to friends and family if you're feeling anxious, share your location, and most importantly, have the time of your life. We will not let hate win.
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