Taylor Swift cancels shows after suspected terror attack plot

Three Taylor Swift Eras Tour shows have been cancelled amid fears over an alleged terror attack plot in Austria.

The news comes after authorities arrested two suspected extremists earlier today (7 August), one of whom was a 19-year-old Austrian citizen who is believed to have been radicalised online and allegedly pledged an oath of allegiance to the terror group IS.

The pair were arrested under suspicion of planning attacks at large events in the Vienna area, including the upcoming Swift concerts.

The concerts had been due to take place in the city on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week at the Ernst Happel Stadium, where some 65,000 fans per day had been expected to head down to the stadium to watch the singer in action during the international leg of her tour.

A further 22,000 Swift fanatics were expected to be listening in from the outside of the venue, according to the head of police in the capital.

Confirming the cancellation of the gigs, events organiser Barracuda Music said in a statement on Instagram: "Due to confirmation by government officials of a planned terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three planned shows for everyone's safety."

It added: "All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 working days."

Speaking further on the arrests, Austria’s General Director for Public Security, Franz Ruf, said they were aware of 'preparatory actions' for a possible attack and that chemical substances had been found during a raid which were currently being investigated.

The cancellations came just hours after authorities in the area ramped up their security efforts for the concerts, with a special focus on entry checks and fans urged to factor in more travel time.

At the time, a police official told press said there were no plans to outright cancel the concerts as 'the concrete danger had been minimised'. It is not yet known what prompted the u-turn from authorities.

The investigation into the alleged terror plot is ongoing.