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Three canceled Taylor Swift concerts, several arrests and great disappointment among fans. Two young men wanted to carry out an attack in Vienna. According to security authorities, there is still an abstract danger. What is known so far.
Security authorities in Austria say they have foiled a terrorist attack on one of three concerts by pop star Taylor Swift that have since been cancelled. The two suspects wanted to kill as many people as possible in front of the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. The most important questions and answers:
What about the Suspects known?
According to the security authorities, a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old are believed to have planned the crime. Both were arrested on Wednesday. The crucial information is said to have come from “international secret services,” said Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. The information initially only referred to a possible lone perpetrator. However, further findings led to an Islamist network that was already known to the police. No other people are being sought besides the two suspects.
The 19-year-old is said to be a sympathizer of the terrorist militia “Islamic State” (IS). He has now confessed to his plans. He was arrested in Ternitz, a community about 80 kilometers south of Vienna. Chemical substances and technical devices were confiscated from his house. The 19-year-old is said to have become radicalized on the Internet and uploaded an oath of loyalty to the head of the terrorist group Islamic State to an online account. The Austrian, who has family roots in North Macedonia, quit his job on July 25 and said that he still had big plans, according to the police. He is considered the main perpetrator.
The second suspect was arrested by special police forces not far from the Ernst Happel Arena. The 17-year-old had been working for a company for a few days that was supposed to offer drinks and food in the stadium on Thursday evening. According to the AFP news agency, he is an Austrian with Turkish-Croatian roots. He has so far refused to make a statement. However, material from the IS militia and the terrorist network Al-Qaeda was found in his apartment. He is said to have recently split up with his girlfriend. Both suspects have undergone a clear social change, according to investigators.
A 15-year-old of Turkish origin is also in police custody and is being questioned. He is said to have at least known about the 19-year-old’s terrorist plans. The extent to which he was involved is the subject of investigations.
The Austrian police showed a picture of the suspect at their press conference.
What were the two of them planning?
The two suspects did not have tickets for any of the concerts planned for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the authorities said. Their plan was to kill as many people as possible with knives and homemade explosives in front of the Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday or Friday. “The situation was serious, the situation is serious. But we can also say that a tragedy was prevented,” said Interior Minister Karner.
The Ernst Happel Stadium has around 51,000 seats and was sold out for the planned concerts. A total of up to 200,000 fans were expected. Thousands without tickets at least wanted to make the pilgrimage to the arena, as had been the case at previous concerts in Munich and Hamburg.
“Swifties” don’t need a ticket: Fans gather outside the arenas for the US singer’s concerts, as they did here in Munich.
Why was it cancelled?
Concert promoter Barracuda Music wrote on Instagram on Wednesday evening that it had no choice but to cancel the three planned shows for security reasons. Interior Minister Karner said the danger from Islamist extremism had increased significantly after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7. That is why Austria raised the terror alert level to four in the autumn, the second highest level. “I therefore understand the organizer’s decision to cancel the concert,” said Karner. He stressed: “A tragedy was prevented.” The arrests had minimized the concrete threat situation. However, an abstract threat with an increased risk of terrorism still exists. The cancellation was a decision made by the organizer.
Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer also supported the decision to cancel the concerts: “In my view, the organizer acted very responsibly and understandably by canceling the event.” Without the timely intervention of the investigators, “immeasurable damage” would have been threatened. He also announced that he would convene the National Security Council. Nehammer again called for technical surveillance options to be extended, especially to messenger services. Parliament has so far prevented this.
What will happen to the fans now?
Paid tickets will be refunded. “All tickets will be refunded automatically within the next ten working days,” the organizer Barracuda Music and the ticket portal Oeticket explained on their websites. In most cases, however, fans will be left with the costs for travel and hotel. The exception is complete packages with tickets and hotel that were booked through an organizer. Many fans had come from abroad especially for the event and had spent thousands of euros on travel and hotel costs.
As a gesture of goodwill, the two railway companies Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and Westbahn announced that they would refund purchased tickets.
Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler expressed understanding for the frustration of many fans who call themselves “Swifties” and wrote on the online platform X: “For many, a dream has been shattered today. Tens of thousands of Swifties should have celebrated life together in Vienna over three evenings. I am very sorry that you are denied this. Swifties stick together, hate and terror cannot destroy that.”
How does Taylor Swift react?
Not yet. It was initially unclear where Taylor Swift was at the time of the cancellation. Her most recent Instagram post refers to the three concerts in Warsaw.
Attracts the crowds: The current tour spans two years. Seven concerts have already taken place in Germany, here in Munich.
Will more concerts be cancelled?
The next leg of the tour will see Taylor Swift perform five concerts at Wembley Stadium in London. They will mark the end of the concerts in Europe. A total of around 150 concerts were planned around the world from March 2023 to December 2024, 51 of them in Europe and seven in Germany.
British Police Secretary of State Diana Johnson said the London police would review all available information. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police told the German Press Agency that there were no reports of anything noteworthy regarding Swift, but that the public would be kept informed. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the city was sticking to the planned concerts with Swift. “We have a lot of experience in providing police support for such events,” said Khan.
With information from Wolfgang Vichtl, ARD Vienna.
