Why Taylor Swift’s Vienna Concerts Will Have More Security Than Other Eras Tour Dates
UPDATE: All three of Taylor Swift’s scheduled shows in Vienna, Austria, were canceled on Wednesday, August 7, after authorities publicly revealed a suspected terror plot.
A statement posted on social media by Swift’s team and Barracuda Music said they had “no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.” Those who purchased tickets were told they could expect a refund within 10 business days.
Original article:
Austrian authorities are warning Taylor Swift fans who are planning to attend her upcoming concerts in Vienna that it might take a bit longer for them to get inside the stadium due to newly heightened security measures.
The added precautions will be implemented in response to new information about a suspected terror plot, which authorities suggested might have targeted a major event such as one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows if it had moved forward, according to The Associated Press.
On Wednesday, August 7, officials with Austria’s interior ministry announced that two people suspected of plotting a terror attack were arrested. A 19-year-old Austrian citizen was arrested Wednesday morning in Ternitz, a town south of Vienna, and another person was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Austria’s capital.
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Franz Ruf, the ministry’s director general for public safety, said during a Wednesday press conference that the 19-year-old was believed to have made a pledge to the Islamic State last month after becoming radicalized online. That same individual also had “a focus” on the pop star’s Vienna tour dates, Ruf added.
Security measures will be increased at all major events happening in the city, including at the “Cruel Summer” songstress’ scheduled shows at Ernst Happel Stadium. These measures will include extra scrutiny for all who enter the stadium and an uptick in police surveillance in the area.
Due to the elevated security, authorities are warning concertgoers that it will likely take more time for them to get inside the stadium. All who have tickets to the shows are being urged to arrive early in anticipation of such delays.
Swift is scheduled to perform three consecutive nights in Vienna, with her first show in the city kicking off on Thursday, August 8. After Austria, the 14-time Grammy Award winner’s hit international Eras Tour will return to London for five nights at Wembley Stadium.
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