Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer has spoken up about the cancelation of Taylor Swift‘s upcoming concerts in Vienna, which were set to kick off today. The three shows, scheduled from Aug. 8 through 10, were canceled following the arrests on Wednesday of two men who, authorities say, were planning to execute terror attacks at multiple locations in the city.
“The cancelation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria,” Nehammer wrote on X, via a translation. “The situation surrounding the apparently planned terrorist attack in Vienna was very serious. Thanks to the intensive cooperation of our police and the newly established DSN with foreign services, the threat was recognized early, combated and a tragedy prevented. Many thanks to the emergency services who are currently investigating at full speed.”
He continued, “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.”
The cancelation was announced by the official ticketing agency, who wrote, “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. All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.”
Initially, it was reported that the shows would continue as planned with increased security. Police officials had stated that “the concrete danger has been minimized,” according to NBC News. Details are still emerging regarding the threat, which was addressed broadly in a news conference from Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Purstl.
Chemical substances were discovered after authorities took into custody a 19-year-old who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS after being radicalized online. The other man who was arrested is also said to have an allegiance to the terrorist group. According to Ruf, the substances retrieved from the 19-year-old are currently being evaluated, likely to determine whether they were meant to be used for the purposes of constructing a bomb.
Ernst Happel Stadium holds a capacity of more than 50,000 attendees. All three shows Swift was set to play this week are sold out. She currently has a five-date run scheduled at Wembley Stadium in London beginning next week, before she returns to North America in November and December for the final leg of the Eras tour.
The singer has yet to comment on the cancelation, although many outlets have pointed to a 2019 interview with ELLE in which Swift candidly spoke about her anxiety performing live following the attack on Ariana Grande’s Manchester concert in 2017.
In an article about her life lessons before turning 30, Swift acknowledged her “biggest fear.” “After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months,” she said. “There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe.”
She continued, “My fear of violence has continued into my personal life. I carry QuikClot army grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds. Websites and tabloids have taken it upon themselves to post every home address I’ve ever had online. You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things. Every day I try to remind myself of the good in the world, the love I’ve witnessed and the faith I have in humanity. We have to live bravely in order to truly feel alive, and that means not being ruled by our greatest fears.”