Why was Taylor Swift's concert cancelled?
Three of Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna this week have been cancelled after authorities arrested two men for an apparent plot to attack a public event in the Vienna area. In an Instagram post late Wednesday, concert organisers Barracuda Music cited "confirmation" from government officials of a planned attack at the stadium, saying: "We have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for the safety of everyone involved." All seats in the venue for the planned concerts had been sold out and an estimated 170,000 fans were due to attend, APA reported.
Austrian authorities said they had arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly planning an Islamist attack in the Vienna area after interrogation revealed he was preparing an attack on a Taylor Swift show. Austria's top security chief Franz Ruf told a press conference that the man, who had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group "in recent weeks", was detained in Lower Austria, about an hour away from the capital, early on Wednesday. "We have made corresponding preparations and also learned that the 19-year-old criminal has his eyes set on Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna," Ruf said. The man is believed to be an Austrian citizen and became radicalised on the internet. Chemical substances had been seized from the suspect's home and were being assessed, Ruf said.