Taylor Swift, the acclaimed American singer and songwriter, has decided to cancel three upcoming concerts following the arrest of two individuals suspected of plotting terrorist attacks at the venues in Vienna.
The Grammy-winning artist was set to perform on Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday at Ernst Happel Stadium as part of her ‘Eras Tour.’
Barracuda Music, the promoter for Swift’s concerts in Austria, announced on
Instagram, “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Vienna shows cancelled due to
government officials' confirmation of planned terrorist attack.”
They emphasized that, “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.”
Additionally, Swift’s official website confirmed the
cancellation of the Vienna performances and stated that ticket refunds would be
processed within the next 10 business days.
On Wednesday, two suspects were arrested on allegations of
planning attacks on large events in the vicinity of the Austrian capital.
Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria’s
interior ministry, revealed that a “targeted raid was carried out” on a
“19-year-old perpetrator.”
He noted that chemical substances were reportedly seized
from the suspect’s residence and mentioned that the individual had “pledged an
oath of allegiance to the Islamic State group.”
Ruf further stated, as reported by BBC, that the two
suspects had become radicalized through the internet.
In a 2019 interview with Elle magazine, Swift expressed her
deep concern regarding violence at her concerts, stating, “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,” referencing the tragic Manchester
Arena bombing and the Las Vegas mass shooting in 2017.
She added, “There was a tremendous amount of planning,
expense, and effort into keeping my fans safe.”
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