Taylor Swift concerts cancelled after attack threat

Austria’s government has confirmed a planned attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, leading to the cancellation of Taylor Swift’s three concerts in Vienna this week.

The organizer, Barracuda.music, announced the cancellation late Wednesday, citing the government’s confirmation of a terrorist threat.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer praised the cooperation between police and foreign services, saying, “Thanks to the intensive cooperation of our police and the newly established DSN with foreign services, the threat was identified early on, combated, and a tragedy prevented.”

 

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Austrian police detained two suspects, aged 19 and linked to Islamic State, who were plotting attacks on the concerts. Director General for Public Security Franz Ruf stated that the suspects had shown a particular focus on the Taylor Swift concerts. A third suspect was later arrested, and police are still searching for three more individuals.

The concerts, part of Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour, were scheduled to take place from Thursday to Saturday, with 65,000 attendees expected at each show.

The cancellation comes after police had initially planned to increase security measures, including entry checks and personal searches, due to concerns about the large crowd.

Swift has not yet commented on the cancellations, but fans will receive automatic refunds for their tickets. The singer’s tour is set to continue in London, with six concerts scheduled at Wembley Stadium starting on August 15.