Three people have been arrested in a terrorist attack plot targeting Taylor Swift’s Vienna concert dates and preemptively canceling the pop icons Austria stop on the International leg of the Eras Tour.
Fans of US singer Taylor Swift (Swifties), exchange their beaded bracelets near the Swiftie Tree in Cornelius Strasse Street in Vienna, Austria, on August 8, 2024. A 19-year-old Islamic State sympathizer planned a suicide attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna designed to kill many people, the country’s intelligence agency said. Austrian authorities detained two suspects for allegedly plotting to attack this week’s Vienna concerts by the US star, which organizers cancelled at the last minute. (Photo by Alex HALADA / AFP) (Photo by ALEX HALADA/AFP via Getty Images)
By Maliyah Simone, CRDN
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Taylor Swift canceled her Era’s Tour stop in Vienna ahead of the weekend shows scheduled for August 8-10th amid threats of a planned terrorist attack on the event according to Austrian authorities. Three suspects were arrested in connection with the threat. However, authorities are still searching for more information to aid in their investigation.
“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadion, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” Barracuda Music, the event organizer, posted ahead of the event, on Instagram.
Swift was set to perform at Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna as she continues on her international leg of the Eras Tour. The venue’s website has posted a disclaimer on the Vienna tour dates notating the canceled shows. Though Swift’s team has taken to social media, reposting the statement from Barracuda Music containing a link for concertgoers to receive a refund, however, it would be some time until Swift herself spoke out about the situation.
Ahead of her Lover Tour, which was ultimately canceled due to COVID, Swift had expressed concerns for the safety of her fans in an interview with Elle Magazine: “After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, 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.”
Two of the suspects are believed to have connections to ISIS and had taken “oaths of allegiance” to the Islamic State group according to social media activity, in the days leading up to their arrests. Investigators say that the attacks appear to have been inspired by and consistent with al-Qaeda, as they found bomb-making materials in the home of a 19-year-old primary suspect.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner says the 19-year-old suspect confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside” of the concert venue.
Austrian authorities were initially notified by US intelligence agencies about the threat, which had been posted to Telegram in June. This discovery was corroborated by the 19-year-old suspect who confessed to having been planning the attack since June of 2024. Due to Austrian privacy laws, the authorities are not legally allowed to monitor text conversations.
Fans of the beloved pop icon have taken to social media expressing sadness and disappointment over the show’s cancellation; while Karner noted in his press address the severity of the situation, the actions of authorities, and stated that a “tragedy was prevented.”
On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the would-be concert dates, hundreds of Swifties took to the streets of Vienna outside of the concert venue and sang along to her songs. Authorities remained on the scene to ensure public safety; however, no dangers were presented.