File photo. Three Taylor Swift concerts had been scheduled to take place in Vienna. Photo: Robin Van Lonkhuijsen / ANP MAG / ANP via AFP
Taylor Swift's three concerts in Vienna this week were cancelled after government confirmation of a planned attack at the stadium, the organizer said late on Wednesday.
"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," Barracuda.music said in a post on Instagram, adding all tickets would be automatically refunded.
Austrian police on Wednesday detained two people suspected of plotting attacks on concerts, Franz Ruf, director general for public security, said at a news conference on Wednesday evening.
"During our investigations, we identified preparatory actions and noted that the 19-year-old suspect had a particular focus on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna," Ruf said, adding that the suspect, an Austrian citizen, had pledged allegiance to Islamic state.
Police searched the residence of one of the suspects in Ternitz, Lower Austria, and is analysing items from the home.
Three Taylor Swift concerts had been scheduled to take place in Vienna from Thursday to Saturday with police expecting around 65,000 attendees each day.
- Reuters
![US singer Taylor Swift performs on stage during a concert as part of her Eras World Tour in Sydney on February 23, 2024. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- / “The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by DAVID GRAY has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Adding RESTRICTIONS] Please immediately use the restrictions on all your online services and make the necessary changes in your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.”](https://media.rnztools.nz/rnz/image/upload/s--z0eKtfjI--/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_288/v1713487811/4KRH9OK_000_34JZ6W7_jpg?_a=BACCd2AD)
