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Taylor Swift cancels Vienna shows after two arrested for plotting attack

Taylor Swift fans without tickets dance in front of the Veltins Arena during the pop singer’s concert on July 17 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. In addition to the tens of thousands of fans arriving with tickets for the show, city authorities expected thousands more without tickets and created fan hubs across the city. (Hesham Elsherif)
By Anika Arora Seth Washington Post

Taylor Swift canceled three concerts in Vienna after Austrian authorities arrested two people, accusing them of planning attacks on large-scale gatherings – including the singer’s shows – in the European capital. The arrests come amid a string of similar terror threats targeting major events in Europe this summer.

One of the suspects is a 19-year-old who allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, authorities said. That suspect, an Austrian citizen, was arrested Wednesday in the town of Ternitz.

“We have identified relevant preparatory actions and also that a focus of the 19-year-old was the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna,” said Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria’s interior ministry, in a joint news conference on Wednesday with police chief Gerhard Purstl. No information was shared about the second suspect.

Swift’s concerts were scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Ernst Happel Stadium and were expected to draw more than 150,000 people across all three nights.

Ruf said the arrested people were radicalized online, and that officers found chemical substances in the first suspect’s home. Investigators are working to determine if those substances could have been used to construct a bomb, according to authorities.

Though Purstl said during the Wednesday news conference that security would be increased for the concerts, including police dog units and anti-terror teams, the official Taylor Nation Instagram account indicated later on Wednesday that all three shows were canceled.

“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,” reads a post by Austrian concert promoter Barracuda Music, which Taylor Nation reposted.

Swift’s Eras Tour is the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, and fans have traveled from all over the world to see the singer perform at her European shows. As her remaining U.S. shows boast individual ticket prices over $1,000, some American fans have gone as far as to plan entire summer vacations around Swift’s European tour dates. Taken together, airfare, hotels and a concert ticket in Europe can sometimes cost less than a seat at a show in the U.S.

Swift’s publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Terror threats have impacted major events worldwide this summer. In April, local police increased security for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden amid heightened concern over possible attacks. In May, French officials said an 18-year-old man had been arrested for allegedly planning an attack on the Olympics in the name of the Islamic State, Reuters reported.

Intelligence officials in the United States have warned since at least March that the war on Gaza and fury at U.S. support for Israel could galvanize existing terror groups and inspire fresh threats.

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Kate Brady contributed to this report.