Entertainment

Taylor Swift's 3 Eras Tour concerts in Vienna are canceled after police say they thwarted a terrorist plot

taylor swift eras tour
Taylor Swift performs during the European leg of the Eras Tour. Andreas Rentz/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management 2
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Taylor Swift's next stop on the Eras Tour has been canceled, according to multiple reports.

Swift was scheduled to perform three shows in Vienna this weekend. On Wednesday, Austrian police announced they had thwarted a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium and two men were arrested, per Variety.

Shortly after, Austrian concert promoter Barracuda Music announced the concerts had been canceled via Instagram.

"Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Vienna Shows cancelled due to government officials confirmation of planned terrorist attack," the organizers wrote. "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 post was reshared by Taylor Nation, the official social media account for Swift's team. Barracuda Music's website also lists the concert as canceled.

In a Wednesday press conference, police said they arrested two suspects who "became radicalized by the internet."

Authorities identified one of the suspects, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, as a sympathizer of the Islamic State who pledged an oath of allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State at the beginning of July, according to CNN.

Police arrested a second suspect later on Wednesday in Vienna.

The two suspects took "concrete preparatory measures" for an alleged terrorist attack in Vienna, police said. Franz Ruf, public security director at the country's interior ministry, said Swift's concerts were a particular focus for the suspects, according to the Associated Press.

Authorities said the 19-year-old suspect had chemical substances and suspected explosives stored at their home.

Before the concerts were canceled, Austrian authorities initially said security would be stepped up at the events.

Barracuda Music said all tickets for the sold-out concerts would be automatically refunded within 10 days. The same message also appeared on Swift's official website.

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Callie Ahlgrim
Callie Ahlgrim is a senior reporter at Business Insider who writes about pop culture, with a special focus on the music industry.As a cofounding member of BI's music vertical, Callie has covered a range of hot topics at the intersection of art, celebrity culture, and show business: the political implications of Bad Bunny's success; the fan feedback loop in Taylor Swift's creative process; the symbolism of Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show; the commercial impact of Beyoncé's country album; the brand identities of stars like Harry StylesMorgan WallenAddison RaeKaty Perry, and Frank Ocean; the modern challenges of making money as a musician; and more.She also covers celebrity PR strategies, blockbuster movies, prestige TV shows, and internet trends.Callie graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, a Bachelor of Arts in English, and a minor in Spanish. She previously wrote columns for Man Repeller and ELLE.
Erin Snodgrass was a senior reporter at Business Insider. She covered several topics, including geopolitical conflicts, history, courts, education, cruises, careers, and migration. She also wrote about the war in Ukraine and its impacts.Before joining Business Insider, Erin worked with InvestigateTV and Česká Televize. She graduated from Loyola University New Orleans in 2020 with a journalism degree and a political science minor.Her work has also been published in The Olympian and on Nola.comShe can be reached on X as @erinsnod.