U.S. pop star Taylor Swift performs in Milan on July 13.
The organizers of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna canceled the shows this week due to an alleged plot to attack an event in the area. The concerts, part of Swift’s Eras Tour, were scheduled at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Barracuda Music, the event organizer, announced on Instagram late Wednesday that the shows were canceled to ensure everyone’s safety. This decision followed government officials confirming a potential attack at the stadium.
Earlier on Wednesday, authorities arrested two suspected extremists, with one allegedly planning an attack on an event in the Vienna area. The primary suspect, a 19-year-old, was detained in Ternitz, south of Vienna, while the second suspect was apprehended in the Austrian capital.
Franz Ruf, public security director at Austria's Interior Ministry, stated that authorities were aware of preparatory actions for a possible attack, with the 19-year-old suspect focusing on the Taylor Swift concerts. The suspect, an Austrian citizen, had reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and had become radicalized online. Authorities seized chemical substances, which are under evaluation.
Hours before the cancellations, authorities had announced increased security measures for the concerts, including more thorough entry checks. Vienna Police Chief Gerhard Purstl mentioned that while the concrete danger had been minimized, an abstract risk still warranted heightened security.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner praised the efforts of the country's police and intelligence service in ensuring safety. He noted that the decision to cancel the concerts was made by the organizer, in close coordination with foreign security authorities.
Barracuda Music assured that all tickets would be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days. This message was also posted on Swift’s official website. The Vienna stadium had sold out for the concerts, with an estimated 170,000 fans expected to attend.
Fans expressed their disappointment on social media, sharing their sadness over missing one of Swift’s performances. Many fans lamented the wasted effort in preparing friendship bracelets and selecting outfits for the event.
This incident recalls the tragic 2017 attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, UK, where a suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured over 100. An official inquiry later revealed that Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, missed a crucial opportunity to prevent the bombing.
