Taylor Swift‘s highly anticipated concerts in Vienna have been abruptly cancelled after authorities foiled a terror plot targeting the events. The decision to cancel the shows, scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Ernst Happel Stadium, follows the arrest of two men allegedly involved in planning attacks on the “Cruel Summer” singer’s performances.
Event organizer Barracuda Music announced the cancellation on Instagram, citing “the need to ensure everyone’s safety” as the primary reason. Swift’s official website confirmed that all purchased tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.
The cancellation comes in response to a large-scale police operation early Wednesday morning in Ternitz, a town in Lower Austria. According to reports from Der Standard and The Associated Press, law enforcement took one man into custody and conducted an extensive search of his residence. The search led to the evacuation of several nearby homes and a section of a retirement home, and temporary road closures. Authorities are currently analyzing various chemical substances seized from the suspect’s home.
Investigators believe that one of the arrested suspects, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, had become radicalized online and pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS). A second man was apprehended later in Vienna. Reports from Kronen Zeitung describe one of the suspects as an Austrian of North Macedonian descent who lived with his family in Ternitz. Both men are believed to have been involved in “specific preparatory actions” for the terrorist attack, with a particular focus on the Swift concerts.
The plot was uncovered just hours before authorities had planned to increase security measures for the concerts. Swift is set to resume her tour in London next week, concluding the European leg of her “Eras Tour” before taking a three-month break, after which she will continue her performances in Toronto.