Authorities in Austria have successfully foiled a planned Islamist terror attack against Taylor Swift concerts.
Swift was due to perform her Era’s Tour in Vienna on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, although all three events now have been cancelled.
“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,” the event’s organizer, Barracuda Music, posted on Instagram.
Nothing to see here
A third Taylor Swift concert has been cancelled in Europe because of threats of Islamic terrorism.
Assimilation seems to be going well! pic.twitter.com/azXkztyoja
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) August 7, 2024
“All tickets will be automatically refunded withi the next 10 business days,” the announcement added.
Authorities have arrested a 19-year-old man who had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State, Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Pürstl said at a news conference Wednesday.
“During our investigations, we identified preparatory actions and noted that the 19-year-old suspect had a particular focus on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna,” Mr Ruf said.
Some 65,000 people were expected to attend the concerts, in what has already become the highest grossing musical tour of all time.
Swift has yet publicly to comment on the cancellation, although the Vienna tour dates are no longer avaliable on her website.
Back in 2017, an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom was targeted by 22-year-old Salman Abedi, who had been granted asylum by British authorities.
A total of 22 people were killed in the attack, while hundreds sustained injuries, many of which were life changing.
While Abedi was known to British intelligence services, they failed to act in sufficient time to stop the deadly attack.
