TAylor Swift’s fans in London are gearing up for her return to the city as she performs five shows at Wembley Stadium between August 15th and 20th. But in light of the foiled terrorist attacks discovered linked to her three shows in Vienna, Austria – and the subsequent cancellation of those shows – many fans are wondering whether the UK shows will go ahead.
Swift – TIME’s 2023 Person of the Year – has not yet made a statement about the planned attack, nor about her upcoming London shows, the next in her Eras Tour – a series of concerts that has become the highest-grossing tour of all time, with over $1 billion.
As of Sunday, Swift’s official website shows that the London dates are still in progress. Additionally, several London officials have made statements to ensure the public knows that safety is a top priority and that they will keep new information under “careful review.”
“There is nothing to indicate that the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have an impact on upcoming developments here in London,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police – the police force for Greater London – told TIME in a statement sent by and -mail on Sunday.
“The Met works closely with site security teams and other partners to ensure there are appropriate security and policing plans in place.”
On Thursday, UK Policing Minister Diana Johnson declared in British radio station LBC that the police will be on high alert for the London shows.
“Obviously the police will look at all the information and make decisions, they will assess the risk of every event that happens in this country, and that is something for the police,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed that Swift’s shows will take place in the capital of England.
“We will continue to work closely with the police [and] ensuring that Taylor Swift shows can take place in London safely,” Khan he told Sky News.
Wembley Stadium has not yet released an official statement regarding any new safety precautions regarding Swift’s upcoming concerts, but on the website Specific Eras Tour pagethe site states that “no one is allowed to be outside any entrance or on the Olympic Steps in front of the stadium.” This statement was in place back when the pop star came to Wembley in June.
On Aug. 7, Swift’s three sold-out concerts at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium were canceled by organizers following the arrest of two people who allegedly planned a terrorist attack in Vienna, authorities said. During a press conference in the Austrian capital on Friday, it was announced that a third suspect had been arrested in connection with the foiled plot.
Concert organizer Baracuda Music informed fans that all tickets would be refunded. The same message was conveyed Swift official website under Vienna dates.
read more: Taylor Swift Vienna concerts canceled after police say they discovered planned terrorist attack
Austrian authorities said one of the suspects confessed to having planned the attack, a 19-year-old Austrian, the Associated press reported on August 8th.
“He wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using knives or even using the explosive devices he had made,” said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence.
The man, who lived with his parents in Ternitz, located south of Vienna, had reportedly taken “an oath of loyalty” to ISIS, Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf told reporters. during a press conference on Wednesday.
The second suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian, had recently started working at a company “providing services at the concert venue”. Authorities also found material from the Islamic State group and al Qaeda in his home.
The third suspect is an 18-year-old Iraqi national who was in contact with the main suspect, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told reporters at a news conference.
“He was in contact with the main perpetrator, but is not directly linked to the attack plans,” Karner said during the press conference. “But as it was discovered a few days ago, he swore an oath of allegiance specifically to ISIS on August 6.”
After the canceled shows, fans struggled with missing the opportunity to see the famous pop star and hear their favorite songs. A large crowd of disappointed fans gathered in Corneliusgasse, as the street name echoes “Cornelia Street,” the name of a beloved pop track from Swift’s 2019 album, Lover.
Fans exchanged friendship bracelets – a popular activity among the audience on Swift’s Eras Tour – and sang songs.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
