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SALT LAKE CITY — Some Utahns who made the trip overseas to see Taylor Swift in concert are having a bit of a "cruel summer."
"'Red' is my favorite album," said Gabrielle Fitisemanu, 14, who went with her mother Lucia Fitisemanu to Vienna, Austria, to see Swift in concert. Fitisemanu and her husband planned the trip as a surprise.
"I didn't know until two days before," Gabrielle said. She even had her outfit picked out for Friday's concert. But never in their wildest dreams did the mother-and-daughter duo think Swift's concert would be canceled.
"I had just woken up. I was confused. I was a little numb, and then it sank in," Gabrielle said.
Promoters were forced to cancel Swift's three-day Vienna stop after authorities said they foiled a planned terror attack.
Fitisemanu said she was able to get a refund on the tickets, but flying to Austria was the biggest expense.
"The reason why we came here, because in the U.S., it costs as much as plane to Vienna, so we paid very little for a ticket," she said.
Fitisemanu, however, is grateful for how quickly authorities stepped in. "I wouldn't want anything to happen."
Fans, however, are hoping to shake it off.
"It's been really heartbreaking seeing the amount of fans who have been waiting years and years to go to a concert," said Tess Bohne. She streams Swift's concerts online for people who can't see them in person.
"I've seen this community really come together and be like, 'OK, we have extra codes for London, or I'm going to this many nights, and I want to give you one of my tickets," Bohne said.
"I've been able to actually help probably five or six people who … come to me and be like, 'Hey, I have an extra ticket or my sister can't come anymore. Can you … help connect me to someone so I can gift this ticket?" Bohne said.
As for Gabrielle and her mom, they said they are planning on visiting different sights around Austria.
"I'm going to try and have a lot of fun," Gabrielle said.
