Taylor Swift‘s shows in Vienna have been cancelled following the arrest of two suspects who allegedly plotted a terror attack.
The three gigs were set to take place on August 8, 9 and 10 at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, Austria as part of the popstar’s ongoing ‘Eras’ tour. The cancellation comes hours after police announced that they had narrowly foiled an ISIS plot to attack one of Swift’s shows in the country.
“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety. All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days. For more information, please visit: https://www.oeticket.com/HELP/UPDATES/” read a statement from Barracuda Music, the show’s promoter.
Taylor Swift’s upcoming shows in Vienna have been cancelled due to threat posed by suspected ISIS-connected plot to attack the stadium. pic.twitter.com/K8PVdGIiST
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 7, 2024
As reported by Kronen Zeitung (via New York Post), two suspects – with one being a 19-year-old living in his parents’ home – were arrested today (August 7). Authorities raided the home and found various chemicals and substances potentially being used to make explosives.
In a press conference, Austrian Director General for Public Safety Franz Ruf said: “The suspects were focused on the Taylor Swift concerts. We discovered that he was taking action to prepare for the attack. A clear threat has been averted.”
It has been alleged that the 19-year-old suspect had pledged his allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State. Both suspects are believed to have become radicalized online (per Kronen Zeitung).
According to authorities, the shows were expected to bring in roughly 65,000 concertgoers per day, with an additional 10,000 to 15,000 fans outside of the area. Prior to the cancellation of the gigs, Ruf had shared that security at the concerts would be increased.
NME has reached out to Swift’s representatives for a comment.
In other news, Shawn Levy recently confirmed that Swift was never in talks for a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine.
