Taylor Swift’s Vienna shows cancelled following foiled terror attack
Authorities arrested two men on Wednesday who allegedly were plotting terror attacks at multiple locations in Vienna.
By Larisha Paul
Three scheduled shows on Taylor Swift‘s Eras tour in Vienna, Austria, have been cancelled following the arrests on Wednesday of two men who, authorities say, were planning to execute terror attacks at multiple locations in the city.
“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 official ticketing agency shared in a statement. “All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.”
Ticket exchange and resale company StubHub said in a statement: “We are aware of the news regarding the upcoming cancelled Taylor Swift shows in Austria. All StubHub ticket holders will be notified via email, immediately. We will immediately provide StubHub ticket buyers with a 120% voucher toward another purchase, in line with our event cancellation policy and our FanProtect Guarantee. Buyers who prefer a 100 percent cash refund can make the request directly in their StubHub wallet.”
The concerts were scheduled from August 8 through 10. Initially, it was reported that the shows would continue as planned with increased security. Police officials had stated that “the concrete danger has been minimised,” according to NBC News. Details are still emerging regarding the threat, which was addressed broadly in a news conference from Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Purstl.
Chemical substances were discovered after authorities took into custody a 19-year-old who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS after being radicalized online. The other man who was arrested is also said to have an allegiance to the terrorist group. According to Ruf, the substances retrieved from the 19-year-old are currently being evaluated, likely to determine whether they were meant to be used for the purposes of constructing a bomb.
One man was arrested in Vienna, while the 19-year-old — considered to be the main suspect — was detained in a town south of the capital called Ternitz. No additional details regarding the matter have been shared from officials.