The Vienna stop of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour has been canceled following the arrest of two individuals suspected of planning an attack on a public event in the Austrian capital.
Concert organizers Barracuda Music announced late Wednesday that the Vienna leg of Taylor Swift’s tour was canceled after Austrian authorities revealed the arrest of a 19-year-old man accused of plotting an Islamist attack in the Vienna area. They suggested that Swift’s concerts were a primary target.
Franz Ruf, Austria’s top security official, reported at a press conference that the man, who had recently pledged allegiance to ISIS, was detained early Wednesday in Lower Austria, about an hour from Vienna.
The accused, an Austrian citizen, is thought to have been radicalized online. According to Ruf, chemical substances were confiscated from the suspect’s home and are currently under examination. Additionally, a second individual, who is believed to have been in contact with the suspect, was arrested in Vienna.
In an Instagram update late Wednesday, Barracuda Music stated, “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 venue was fully booked for the concerts, with around 170,000 fans expected, according to APA. The organizers have announced that all ticket holders will receive refunds.
For the unversed, in 2017, a suicide bomber attacked an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, killing 22 people. Salman Abedi detonated a bomb in a backpack at Manchester Arena as thousands of young fans were exiting the event.
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