According to NBC News, two men were arrested on Wednesday (local time) for allegedly planning terrorist attacks on major events in Vienna, Austria, particularly Taylor Swift’s upcoming three-night concert series as part of The Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift was scheduled to perform three consecutive nights (August 8-10) at Austria’s largest stadium, Ernst-Happel-Stadion. Austrian police stated that each concert was expected to attract around 65,000 attendees, with an additional 15,000 fans outside the stadium each night. In total, Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna could have drawn approximately 240,000 fans.
One of the arrested men is a 19-year-old who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS, as stated by Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Purstl in a recent press conference. Officials reported that both men exhibited signs of terrorism and extremism on social media and had detailed plans for carrying out attacks.
When the 19-year-old suspect was arrested, a bomb squad found chemical substances. Authorities are investigating whether these substances could be used to make bombs. A police official mentioned that there were no plans to cancel the concerts and assured the public that “the danger has been minimized.”
Police announced increased security measures at the concerts, including heavily armed teams, K-9 units, bomb squads, and tactical vehicles. Fans were informed that they would face stricter security checks than usual, as authorities planned to thoroughly inspect all attendees and vehicles.
However, Taylor Nation, Taylor Swift’s official team, recently confirmed that the 3 concerts in Austria would be canceled. The full statement read: “Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in Vienna shows (are) canceled due to government officials’ confirmation of planned terrorist attacks. With confirmation from the government of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst-Happel-Stadion, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety. All tickets will be automatically refunded within 10 business days!”
Taylor Swift has not yet commented on the situation. Vienna is the only city where she has had to cancel concerts due to security threats during The Eras Tour, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Taylor Swift recently concluded three concerts in Warsaw, Poland, and was preparing for the next three shows in Austria. However, all plans and schedules in the country will likely be canceled due to this incident. Taylor Swift will resume her tour on August 15 with five “sold-out” nights at Wembley Stadium in London, UK, before returning to North America for the final leg of her two-year-long The Eras Tour.
Source: K14
