VIENNA – Three Taylor Swift This week’s concerts in Vienna were canceled after arrests over a apparent conspiracy to launch an attack in the areapotentially in the stadium itself.
The cancellations left tens of thousands of fans devastated, many of whom had planned to travel to the Austrian capital from around the world. Others had already arrived when the news broke on Wednesday night.
The superstar Eras Tour had sold-out shows planned for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Ernst Happel Stadium, which was empty on Thursday morning except for media footage outside.
Event organizer Barracuda Music said in an Instagram post on Wednesday that “we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.” He cited confirmation from government officials of a planned attack on the stadium.
On Wednesday, authorities said they arrested two suspected extremists, one of whom appeared to be planning an attack on an event in the Vienna area, such as upcoming concerts.
The main suspect, aged 19, was detained in Ternitz, south of Vienna, and a second person was detained in the Austrian capital.
Franz Ruf, director of public security at Austria’s Interior Ministry, said authorities were aware of “preparatory actions” for a possible attack “and also that there is a focus on the 19-year-old perpetrator at Taylor Swift’s Vienna concerts.” reported the Austrian Press Agency.
Ruf said the 19-year-old pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
The Austrian citizen is believed to have become radicalized on the Internet. Ruf said the chemicals have been secured and are being evaluated. He did not give further details.
The cancellation came hours after authorities said security measures for Swift’s concerts would be tightened. Ruf previously said there would be a special focus on, among other things, entry checks, and spectators should plan a little more time.
Vienna Police Chief Gerhard Pürstl said at the same time that although any concrete danger had been minimized, an abstract risk justified increased security.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in a post on the social network X that “the cancellation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria”.
“The situation surrounding the apparently planned terrorist attack in Vienna was very serious,” he wrote. But he added that thanks to intense cooperation between the police and Austrian and foreign intelligence services, “the threat could be recognized early, countered and a tragedy avoided.”
Barracuda Music said “all tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.” The same text was posted in the Vienna dates on Swift’s website official website.
The Vienna stadium was packed for the planned shows, the APA reported, with an estimated 170,000 fans expected for the Austria shows.
Swift fans took to social media to express their devastation at missing one of the superstar’s concerts. Some posters on X lamented months of now wasted effort making friendship bracelets and choosing fashionable outfits for the performance.
Annmarie Timmins, a journalist who traveled from the United States for Thursday’s program, said she and her husband were waiting for the subway after dinner when they heard the news.
“I can’t even believe it,” she said. “There was a girl with her mother who looked so sad – even more than me. I gave her one of my bracelets. I wanted to hug her.
In 2017, a attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, killed 22 people. Salman Abedi suicide bombing a backpack bomb at the Manchester Arena at the end of Grande’s show, as thousands of young fans were leaving. More than 100 people were injured. Abedi died in the explosion.
An officer survey reported in 2023 that Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, did not act quickly enough on key intelligence and missed a significant opportunity to prevent the bombing, the deadliest extremist attack in the UK in recent years.
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Dazio reported from Berlin. Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
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