VIENNA — Authorities have revealed that two teenagers were plotting a terrorist attack on Taylor Swift’s upcoming concerts in Vienna, leading to the cancellation of the events. The planned attacks, which aimed to inflict mass casualties, involved explosives and various weapons.
The primary suspect, a 19-year-old man radicalized online and affiliated with the Islamic State, confessed to the plot shortly after his arrest. Security officials reported finding explosives, timers, machetes, and knives in his residence. A 17-year-old accomplice, who recently started a job with an events service provider at the concert venue, was also apprehended. A 15-year-old boy, though not an active participant, provided additional details corroborating the main suspect’s confession.
The concerts, set to start Thursday, were canceled by Barracuda Music, the event’s promoter. The cancellation affects three planned shows expected to attract over 200,000 fans.
Austrian authorities have stated that the threat has been neutralized with the suspects in custody. Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of Austria’s domestic intelligence agency, noted that while the agency understood the decision to cancel, it had not requested it. Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner acknowledged the heightened threat level following recent attacks and tensions in the region.
Concerts in Europe have previously been targeted by extremists, including attacks in Paris, Manchester, and Moscow. Recent events in England also involved violence at a Taylor Swift-themed event.
As Swift’s tour continues, including a series of sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium in London, local police have indicated there is no current threat affecting these upcoming performances.
