'Nothing to indicate' impact on Taylor Swift's London gigs, after cancellation

Three gigs in Vienna cancelled

Taylor Swift Wembley
Author: Louise EastonPublished 8th Aug 2024

Police in London say there's 'nothing to indicate' any impact on Taylor Swift's gigs at Wembley next week - despite her shows in Vienna being cancelled.

Austrian police say two teenagers were planning a terror attack at the venue.

The Met says it's ensuring 'appropriate security and policing plans in place'.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that London is "looking forward to welcoming Taylor Swift back" as the capital is "an international city" that regularly hosts major events.

He added: "We have a huge amount of experience in policing these events, we're never complacent, many lessons were learned after the awful Manchester Arena attack.

"The police work closely, not just with City Hall, but with councils, but also with those who host concerts, like the Taylor Swift concert coming up over the next couple of weeks.

He added: "I'm sure Vienna has got its own reasons to cancel the Taylor Swift concerts, we're going to carry on, working closely with police (and) ensuring that the Taylor Swift concerts can take place in London safely."

On Instagram on Wednesday, event organiser Barracuda Music wrote that "we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone's safety" as there had been "confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium".

At a press conference on Thursday, Austria's interior minister, Gerhard Karner, said "a tragedy was prevented" before referring to the attack on Paris's Bataclan venue, the bombing of Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert, and the Crocus City Hall mass shooting in Moscow.

He also said that concerts "are often targets" for politically motivated attackers, and threats have "undoubtedly risen" since the escalation of violence against Hamas and Israel in Gaza in October.

Franz Ruf, director general for public security at the Ministry of the Interior confirmed that two people had been arrested, one 19-year-old suspect in Ternitz, south of Vienna, and a 17-year-old in the Austrian capital.

He also said that chemical substances, liquids and technical capabilities were found at the home of the 19-year-old.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "London plays host to a significant number of very high-profile events each year with millions of visitors having a safe and enjoyable experience.

"The Met works closely with venue security teams and other partners to ensure there are appropriate security and policing plans in place.

"There is nothing to indicate that the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have an impact on upcoming events here in London.

"As always, we will continue to keep any new information under careful review."

Barracuda Music said that "all tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days".

In July, there was a fatal knife attack on three girls, aged six, seven and nine, at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport, which sparked riots throughout the UK.

Swift said she was in "completely in shock" following the deaths at the children's event.

A suspect has been charged and has appeared in court.

Swift had thanked Poland'sWarsaw audiences for giving her "the best time", and said she could not "believe we have two cities left on the European leg of The Eras Tour", before the cancellations in Austria.

The 34-year-old singer added: "It's truly flown by. See you soon Vienna."

Her representative, the Home Office and Wembley Stadium have all been contacted for further comment.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.