Taylor Swift‘s three-night run of shows in Vienna, Austria, this week was cancelled Wednesday after two men—one with alleged ties to ISIS—were arrested in connection to a terror plot targeting one of the shows, according to a concert promoter and multiple outlets, reversing an initial decision to continue the concerts with increased security measures.
Key Takeaways
- Taylor Swift Concert promoter Barracuda Music said in a statement Wednesday that the Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are cancelled due to law enforcement confirming a planned terrorist attack, noting tickets will be automatically refunded.
- One of the arrested men was a 19-year-old who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS, the Associated Press reported, citing Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Purstl.
- The two suspects allegedly had specific plans for carrying out the terror plot, with law enforcement finding chemicals and substances at one of their homes—though it has yet to be determined if the substances could have been used to create an explosive, according to NBC News.
- The three shows were initially set to go on, albeit with heightened security, including bomb squads, heavy weapons teams, K-9 units and tactical vehicles, according to NBC.
- Each show was expected to have attendance upward of 60,000 people, in addition to around 12,500 fans outside of the stadium, ABC reported.
- A representative for Swift did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
Forbes Valuation
We estimate Taylor Swift has real time net worth at US$1.3 billion. Touring and royalties make up for nearly $600 million worth of the figure, as the singer-songwriter has been on tour since last March.
Tangent
Country music singer-songwriter Morgan Wallen recently had one of his shows delayed by 40 minutes over a shooting threat made on social media. The man who specifically made the threat against two members of the Kansas City Chiefs present at the event said the social media post was a “stupid mistake” and was charged alongside a $15,000 bond set for his release, Billboard reported.
Key Background
Law enforcement has gotten involved on the European leg of Swift’s tour before. Just last month, police arrested a suspected stalker of Swift’s prior to a show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The suspect was American and allegedly made threats toward Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, on social media.
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