Taylor Swift’s three planned concerts in Vienna this week have been canceled due to concerns over terrorism, organizers said on Wednesday.
“Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Vienna shows cancelled due to government officials confirmation of planned terrorist attack,” Barracuda Music, an Austria-based music promoter group, wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Swift’s official website also lists the Vienna shows as canceled and said tickets will be refunded within the next 10 business days.
Swift was scheduled to perform at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as part of her international leg of “The Eras Tour.” Each show was sold out, with an estimated 170,000 fans expected to show up over the course of three days.
🚨 What happened today?
The news comes after two suspects were arrested by authorities in Austria earlier on Wednesday, one of whom was accused by authorities of planning a possible attack at the concert venue.
Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria’s interior ministry, told the Austria Press Agency that a “targeted raid was carried out this morning” on a “19-year-old perpetrator.” Chemical substances were also allegedly seized from the suspect’s home.
Ruf added that the 19-year-old in question had “pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State group” and is believed to have become “radicalized on the internet,” the Associated Press reported.
The Austrian interior department said in a news release that both suspects “had taken concrete preparatory actions for a terrorist attack.”
🗣️What Swift has said about concert safety fears in the past
In a 2019 interview with Elle magazine, Swift mentioned that her biggest fear was violence at her concerts and failing to keep her fans safe. She referenced the Manchester Arena bombing after an Ariana Grande concert and the Las Vegas mass shooting, both taking place in 2017, as reasons for why she was reluctant to tour.
“I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months,” she said. “There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense and effort into keeping my fans safe.”
Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
