Taylor Swift’s three scheduled concerts in Vienna, Austria, this weekend have been cancelled after the government confirmed a planned attack at the Ernst Happel stadium, the event’s organisers announced on Wednesday evening. Austrian police have arrested two people suspected of planning the attacks, director general of public security Franz Ruf said at a press conference.
One of the suspects, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, was arrested in the town of Ternitz, 65 kilometres southwest of Vienna. According to the authorities, he had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State in July and had “a particular fixation” with Taylor Swift concerts. “During the investigations, we have identified preparatory actions,” says Ruf. The police have searched the suspect’s residence and are analysing items in the house. No details have been released about the second suspect.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the “situation surrounding the apparently planned terrorist attack in Vienna was very serious.” In a message on his X account, Nehammer said that although the cancellation was “a bitter disappointment for all Austrian fans,” it had “averted a tragedy.” The Chancellor thanked the police and foreign services for their cooperation and made a plea in defense of “freedom and democracy.” “Islamist terrorism threatens security and freedom in many Western countries. Precisely for this reason, we will not give up our values, but will defend them even more vehemently. (…) It is important to remain vigilant, united and take decisive action against Islamism.”
Die Absage der Taylor Swift Konzerte durch die Veranstalter ist für alle Fans in Österreich eine herbe Enttäuschung. Die Situation rund um den offenbar geplanten Terroranschlag in Wien war sehr ernst. Dank der intensiven Zusammenarbeit unserer Polizei und dem neu aufgebauten DSN…
— Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) August 7, 2024
“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at the stadium, we have no choice but to cancel all three scheduled shows for the safety of everyone,” Barracuda, the company responsible for the three events in Austria, posted on its official Instagram account. In a post on its official Instagram account, the company added that all tickets would be automatically refunded. The concerts were scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday and were expected to be attended by around 65,000 people each day.
The shows were part of the American singer-songwriter’s Eras Tour, which began on March 17, 2023, in Arizona, United States, and is scheduled to conclude on December 8 in Vancouver, Canada. Swift, 34, has been making waves in Europe, with fans selling out concerts and flocking to her shows. Following the cancellation of the Vienna dates, Swift will perform in London, where six shows are scheduled at Wembley Stadium beginning on August 15.
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