Taylor Swift’s concert got cancelled in Vienna over an alleged planned terrorist attack

Last updated on August 9th, 2024 at 09:16 am

The Vienna leg of the tour by American pop sensation and megastar Tailor Swift got cancelled midway, reasons being sighted that there was a security threat of a planned terror attack by ISIS or the Islamic State. 

The authorities earlier confirmed the arrest of a 19 year old sympathiser of the terror group for planning the attack in the city, warning that he had a target set on Swift’s three upcoming shows set in the city. 

Barracuda Music, the organisers of the show put up a post in Instagram saying, “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three upcoming shows for everyone’s safety.”

The organisers added that all ticket holders would receive refunds. About 65000 spectators were expected at each show scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The 19 year old who had been detained after pledging his allegiance to the terror group ISIS, was caught in lower Austria at a distance of half an hour from the capital city early on Wednesday. The news was given by the nation’s top security chief personnel, Franz Ruf at a press conference where he stated, “We have established corresponding preparatory acts and also there is a focus on the 19 year old perpetrator on the Tailor Swift concerts in Vienna.”

He added that chemical substances were found at the arrested 19 year old’s home. A second person who was in contact with the arrested suspect was caught in Vienna. According to initial investigation, both of them were radicalised through the internet before the attacks were to be done.

The police had promised to beef up the security measures including deploying special units for the concerts while having minimised all the foreseen predicted dangers.

The country had seen its first Jihadi attack in November 2020 when a convicted ISIS sympathiser started a killing spree wounding 23 individuals along with shooting 4 additional persons who succumbed to injuries before being gunned down by the police in Vienna.