More details are emerging about the alleged terror attack that was planned for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Vienna Eras Tour concerts.
Swift was scheduled to perform three shows at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium from August 8 to August 10 before the authorities learned of a suspected threat. The shows were subsequently canceled as two suspects were taken into custody in connection to the crime.
“Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour Vienna shows [have been] canceled due to government officials’ confirmation of planned terrorist attack,” read a statement from concert organizers Barracuda Music. “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 threat came one month after a stabbing at a Swift-themed dance class left two children dead. Swift addressed the incident in an emotional social media message.
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“The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock,” she wrote via her Instagram Story in July. “The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”
Swift has yet to address the canceled shows in Vienna. Keep scrolling for details released by the authorities about the terror threat:
How Was the Attack Uncovered?
Concert promoter Barracuda Music confirmed on August 7 that credible government intelligence of a “planned terrorist attack” on the venue led to all three concerts being canceled. Vienna’s State Police Director Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Purstl confirmed the arrests of two suspects that same day.
One of the men taken into custody was a 19-year-old with alleged ties to ISIS. According to the authorities, there were specific plans to carry out an attack at Swift’s concert.
Will Vienna Threat Affect Taylor Swift’s London Shows?
The Vienna shows mark the first time Swift has canceled an Eras Tour performance since the tour kicked off in March 2023. The U.K.’s Minister for Policing Diana Johnson announced on August 7 that the British police force are monitoring intelligence for suspected attacks in the capital but there are currently no plans to cancel Swift’s upcoming shows. (The singer has five concerts scheduled at Wembley between August 15 and August 20.)
“Clearly, the police will be looking at all the intelligence and making decisions, they risk assessing every event that happens in this country, and that’s something for the police,” Johnson said according to The Independent.
A spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police offered more information, sharing in a statement, “London plays host to a significant number of very high profile events each year with millions of visitors having a safe and enjoyable experience. The Met works closely with venue security teams and other partners to ensure there are appropriate security and policing plans in place.”
The statement concluded: “There is nothing to indicate that the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have an impact on upcoming events here in London. As always, we will continue to keep any new information under careful review.”
What Has Been Revealed About the Motivations and Suspects Behind the Planned Attack?
Officials revealed on August 8 that the main suspect began working on his attack plans in July. He allegedly posted to the internet an oath of allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State group militia. Based on a raid on the suspect’s home, he planned to use knives or homemade explosives.
The second suspect was also inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda, according to Austrian authorities. The Associated Press reported officials said that one of the two confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”
“He wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made,” said the head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence Omar Haijawi-Pirchner about the main suspect’s plans, noting that the teenager was “clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels.”
Has Anyone Been Arrested for Planning the Attack?
Due to Austrian privacy rules, the suspects names have not been publicly released. However, there have been three arrests in connection with the attack.
Austria’s interior minister Gerhard Karner speculated that the foiled attack was planned for either August 7 or August 9. The second suspect — a 17-year-old — was employed a few days prior by a company providing services at the venue for the concerts. Neither of the two men had tickets to the concert and they were ultimately arrested by special police forces near the stadium.
The interior minister confirmed that no other suspects were being considered at the time. However, a 15-year-old who was in contact with both suspects was interrogated by the authorities.
“The situation was serious, the situation is serious,” Karner stated, according to AP. “But we can also say: A tragedy was prevented.”
A third suspect in connection with the planned attack was arrested on August 9, Karner confirmed. The 18-year-old “comes from the social environment” as the main suspect, he stated per the AP.
“He had been in contact with the main perpetrator, but is not directly connected to the attack plans,” Karner’s statement continued. “But, as was found out a few days ago, he took an oath of allegiance specifically to the IS on August 6.”
