For more than 200,000 Taylor Swift fans, the cancellation of the concerts in Vienna is a bitter disappointment. But safety comes first: the organizers are pulling the plug out of fear of a terrorist attack.
The Austrian police are conducting investigations at full speed following the arrest of two terror suspects and the cancellation of all Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna. According to the security authorities, a 19-year-old radicalized Islamist had been planning attacks and had also targeted the popular US singer’s shows in the capital. As a precaution, the three mass events this week were canceled less than 24 hours before Swift’s first planned performance on Thursday. According to the Austrian government, the threat situation was “very serious.”
Reports of fugitive suspects
The 19-year-old and another person were arrested, but the police did not disclose their age or relationship to the teenager for investigative reasons. However, the organizers were concerned about possible accomplices. Various media reported, citing security sources, that other suspects were being sought. The police did not want to confirm this. Little else was initially announced about the investigation.
Like all Swift concerts on the superstar’s tour, those in Vienna were also sold out. There would have been 65,000 people in the Ernst Happel Stadium every evening, and the police expected another 15,000 to 20,000 Swift fans in the area around the stadium.
Chancellor Nehammer: “A tragedy prevented”
“The cancellation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria,” wrote Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on X. “The situation surrounding the apparently planned terrorist attack in Vienna was very serious. Thanks to the intensive cooperation of our police and the newly established DSN (Directorate of State Security and Intelligence) with foreign services, the threat was recognized early on, combated and a tragedy prevented.”
Investigators spent the whole day on Wednesday searching premises in Ternitz, around 75 kilometers southwest of Vienna. The 19-year-old was arrested there. Specialists were still on duty there in the evening. The police did not say whether data storage devices such as computers or cell phones were confiscated. The second arrest took place in Vienna.
Radicalized on the Internet
The 19-year-old Austrian was active on relevant platforms on the Internet. He became radicalized via online forums, the police reported. And he had only sworn an oath of allegiance to the terrorist organization Islamic State in July.
The fact that chemical substances were found in the rooms suggests that the attack plans were possibly well advanced. Investigators were working there in protective suits. What exactly the teenager was planning, however, remained unclear.
No replacement concerts planned
“Due to confirmation by government officials of a planned terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three planned shows for everyone’s safety,” said concert promoter Barracuda Music. No replacement is planned. Taylor Swift is booked for further concerts in London. “All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 working days,” announced Barracuda Music.
When asked by dpa, Swift’s management initially only referred to the organizer’s statement and did not comment on the content. The 34-year-old is said to have already been in Austria, but this has not been confirmed either.
“Swifties” react disappointed – and understanding
Her fans, known as “Swifties,” reacted with deep disappointment, but also showed understanding for the cancellation. “I can’t believe it,” wrote one person under Barracuda Music’s Instagram post announcing the cancellation. “My heart is broken,” wrote another. Many of the musician’s fans nevertheless described the cancellation as the right decision in view of the apparently very real threat of terrorism.
After the arrests, the police were asked whether they thought it would be appropriate to cancel the concerts. Vienna’s state police chief Gerhard Pürstl evaded the question, saying that recommendations of this kind were not their job. He made it clear, however, that although the arrest had minimized the concrete danger, an “abstract danger” still existed.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
