Organizers have canceled three Taylor Swift concerts in Austria after authorities said they foiled a terror attack planned for the Vienna leg of her blockbuster Eras tour.

The extraordinary decision which could come at a significant cost to Vienna’s businesses has devastated fans and renewed focus on the vulnerability of huge concerts as soft targets for terror networks and spree killers.

Swift was scheduled to play three shows in the European city from Thursday to Saturday, which have all been cancelled, according to Barracuda Music, the promoter for her concerts in Austria.

“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 in a post online.

Swift’s official website also listed the concerts as canceled.

International intelligence agencies helped Austrian authorities uncover the alleged plot, said the country’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, after police said the suspects were “radicalized by the internet.”

Three teenage suspects, aged 19, 17, and 15 were questioned in connection with the alleged terror plot, according to the country’s director general for public security.

Those arrested were in contact with other individuals who knew about the plans, Franz Ruf said at a press conference in the capital.

The two older suspects had exhibited noticeable changes in behavior before their arrests.

The 19-year-old quit his job on July 25, saying he had “something big” planned, Franz Ruf said, adding that he planned to explode a device in the perimeter of the concert venue.

Meanwhile, the 17-year-old, who was arrested in Vienna on Wednesday afternoon, recently broke up with his girlfriend.

“No one else is being sought in direct connection with the plot,” Ruf added.

Chemicals and Explosive Devices Uncovered

Austrian investigators unearthed chemicals at the house of the main suspect. Police earlier announced that suspects had taken “concrete preparatory measures” for a terror attack.

Explosive devices and detonators were found at the home of the 19-year-old, as well as extensive ISIS propaganda material, 21,000 euros in counterfeit money, machetes, knives, and anabolic steroids, Ruf said in the presser.

In a post on X, Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer called the cancellation a “bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria” but said a tragedy had been prevented.

“We live in a time in which violent means are being used to attack our Western way of life. Islamist terrorism threatens security and freedom in many Western countries. This is precisely why we will not give up our values such as freedom and democracy, but will defend them even more vehemently.”
Karl Nehammer

Barracuda Music said all tickets for the canceled shows will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.

Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour began in Glendale, Arizona on March 18, 2023, and has been extended several times.

It has since passed through the United States, South America, Asia, and Australia, and is currently on its European leg before it makes a return to North America.

Canceling three high-profile shows will not have been an easy decision for Viennese authorities given the windfall Swift’s shows bring.

Her tour has made headlines for boosting the economies of the places that she visits, including generating an estimated $380 million in London, the city’s mayor said in June.

Vienna was scheduled to be the penultimate venue of the European leg, with Swift slated to play five nights at London’s Wembley Stadium next week before moving on to Canada for the tour’s final dates in November and December.

Authorities said they had expected around 65,000 audience members at each of Swift’s Vienna shows, and another 15,000-20,000 fans outside the stadium.

Just a day before the announcement of the Vienna cancellation, Swift posted on Instagram after performing in Warsaw, Poland: “I can’t believe we have 2 cities left on the European leg of The Eras Tour. It’s truly flown by. See you soon Vienna!”

The cancellation has left fans both shaken and disappointed, including many who had traveled to Vienna for the shows.

Vanessa Szombathelyi, 24, flew from Ireland to Hungary, where she and her best friend had planned to drive across the border to Vienna for the show. It would have been her first Swift concert since she first became a fan in 2018.

“(I’m) feeling mixed emotions, everything from tears to being angry,” she said, adding she was grateful the suspects were arrested.