Taylor Swift Vienna concerts canceled over terror threat

Taylor Swift's promoter called off her concerts in Vienna this week after law enforcement in Austria announced the arrests of three people over a suspected plot to attack the venue.

"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 on Instagram late on Wednesday, adding that all would-be concert-goers would have their tickets refunded.

Suspect confesses to violent plan

On Thursday, police said one suspect had made a full confession.

"He said he intended to carry out an attack using explosives and knives," said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of Austria's domestic intelligence agency.

"His aim was to kill himself and a large number of people during the concert, either today or tomorrow."

Swift is playing a series of gigs around Europe as part of the "Eras Tour" at the moment and was recently in Germany.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer called the cancellation of the concerts a "bitter disappointment" for Swift's fans, adding that "the situation surrounding the apparent planned terror attack in Vienna was very serious."

He thanked the security services, saying in a post on X, "The threat was identified early on, combated and a tragedy prevented."

Suspect researched bombs online

Austrian authorities arrested a main suspect, a 19-year-old male, in Ternitz on Wednesday. Two others aged 17 and 15 were also detained.

Police seized chemical substances from the main suspect's apartment and had pre-emptively cleared houses and part of a nursing home nearby, fearing the potential for explosives to be present, the Interior Ministry said.

They also found material from al-Qaida and the so-called "Islamic State" group at the suspect's home.

On Thursday, Haijawi-Pirchner said that the suspect had also researched how to make bombs online.

Franz Ruf, director general for public security at the Austrian Interior Ministry, said earlier that the suspects had become radicalized online and taken concrete steps looking to prepare attacks. The young man, he said, had pledged allegiance to the self-styled "Islamic State" terror group.

"We have identified relevant preparatory actions and also that there was a focus from the 19-year-old on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna," Ruf said. 

Extra security was planned for Vienna events

The Interior Ministry noted that there would be a heightened police presence and security protocols in place for upcoming events in Vienna, including the trio of now-canceled Taylor Swift concerts.

It said the country's terror warning level remained high and was being monitored constantly.

The president of the state police force for Vienna, which is a city-state akin to the German capital Berlin, Gerhard Pürstl, explained what people attending major events in Vienna in the coming days should expect. 

"There will be relevant police officers on duty, both in plain clothes and in uniform, in particular special units like WEGA [a Vienna special emergency response unit] and police canine units, to meet the varied tasks facing police and to enable a disruption-free event," Pürstl said. 

He said fixed and mobile video surveillance would be used and that Austrian airspace would also be monitored.

He warned people to expect and not to be alarmed by potentially thorough search measures on entry to such events. He said Vienna police and event organizers were in close contact with each other. 

People traveling by car should also anticipate disruptions, Pürstl warned, with restrictions likely to try to ensure that only authorized vehicles could approach the Ernst Happel Stadium. 

Finally, he appealed for people to take all of this into account and to allow for extra time to travel to and gain entry to the venue. A few hours later, Barracuda Music's announcement rendered this largely moot. 

zc, msh/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)