Taylor Swift’s Vienna concerts canceled due to security concerns

VIENNA (AP) — Organizers for Taylor Swift’s three scheduled concerts in Vienna have called off the events after officials revealed arrests connected to an apparent plot targeting a local event, possibly one of the concerts.

Swift was set to perform at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as part of her Eras Tour.

Event organizer Barracuda Music announced the cancellations on its Instagram channel late Wednesday, citing official confirmation of a planned attack at the venue. The post explained, “We have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.”

Earlier that day, authorities arrested two individuals suspected of extremism. One of the suspects was allegedly planning an attack on an event in the Vienna area, including the upcoming concerts.

The main suspect, a 19-year-old, was apprehended in Ternitz, south of Vienna, while the second suspect was detained in Vienna.

Franz Ruf, public security director at Austria’s interior ministry, indicated that officials were aware of preparatory actions for a possible attack. He confirmed that the 19-year-old had shown a particular interest in the Taylor Swift concerts. According to the Austria Press Agency, the young man had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The Austrian citizen is believed to have become radicalized via the internet. Ruf mentioned that chemical substances were found and are currently being evaluated, although he did not provide further details.

The decision to cancel the concerts came just hours after authorities announced that security measures would be intensified for the Swift events. Enhanced entry checks and other security protocols were to be implemented, and concertgoers were advised to allow extra time.

Vienna police chief Gerhard Pürstl stated that although any concrete danger had been minimized, there was still an abstract risk that justified increased security.

Barracuda Music assured that “all tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.” This information was also posted on Swift’s official website under the Vienna concert dates.

The Vienna stadium was sold out for the three planned concerts, with around 170,000 fans expected to attend in total.

This incident draws comparisons to a tragic event in 2017 when an attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England resulted in 22 deaths. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a knapsack bomb at the end of the concert, injuring more than 100 individuals. An inquiry last year revealed that the U.K.’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, missed a significant opportunity to prevent the bombing.

Source: AP