Three Taylor Swift concerts were canceled after two men were arrested over an alleged terrorist plot allegedly targeting the events.
Swift was due to play at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
But 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” after the “confirmation of [the] planned terrorist attack.”
The pop star’s website also appears to reflect the cancellation.
Under the “tour” tab, shows in the Austrian capital now have a note saying: “All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.”
Two men have been arrested in connection with the alleged terrorist plot which police said targeted major events in Vienna, including Swift’s upcoming concerts.
US officials familiar with the investigation told NBC News, Sky News’ US partner, that Austrian authorities were still searching for an additional person or people who may have knowledge of the alleged plot.
The suspects had been under surveillance for some time and were well known to Austrian authorities, the officials added.
According to Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf, one of those detained was a 19-year-old who had allegedly sworn allegiance to the IS terrorist group.
“During our investigations, we identified preparatory actions and observed that the 19-year-old suspect particularly focused on Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna,” Ruf said.
His arrest took place in the early morning hours of August 7, and the second arrest took place in Vienna on the same day.
Police said both men had been radicalized online.
They allegedly had specific and detailed plans to carry out the attacks on the concerts, which police expected to see around 65,000 attendees each day.
The cancellation announcement. Photo: Reuters
During the arrest of the 19-year-old Austrian citizen in Ternitz, Lower Austria, officers found chemicals that are being investigated as possible components of a bomb.
It was said that he probably would not have been able to obtain all the components needed for a bomb before the weekend’s events, but the Austrian authorities decided to detain them both so that they could not carry out an attack by other means.
According to NBC News, after officials announced a robust safety plan for the concerts, Swift’s team said they would be canceled.
The outlet also said there was no specific plot against Swift herself, but rather the attack focused on a broader event.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer described the cancellation as a “bitter disappointment” but called it a “tragedy.” [had been] prevented”.
He said the situation around the alleged plot had been “very serious” but thanked authorities for their decisive action.
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The Austrian elite unit “Cobra” provided assistance during the arrests.
There were initially no plans to cancel the concerts, police said, but this later changed.
The cancellation came just hours after Austrian authorities outlined improved safety measures for the concerts.
Ruf said that, among other things, special attention would be paid to entry controls and an increased police presence.
At the same time, Vienna police chief Gerhard Purstl said that while any concrete danger has been minimized, an abstract risk justifies increasing security.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
