Taylor Swift concert fears as two suspects ARRESTED for allegedly plotting terror attack on upcoming Austria shows
- Popstar, 34, due to perform at Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion on August 8, 9, 10
- Security will be stepped up with a special focus on entry checks
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Two suspects have been arrested for allegedly plotting a terror attack on Taylor Swift's upcoming shows in Vienna, Austria.
The 19-year-old main suspect was arrested in Ternitz, south of Vienna, and the second person in the Austrian capital - according to Franz Ruf, director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior.
The popstar, 34, is due to perform at Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion on August 8, 9, and 10 and security measures for the shows will be stepped up.
The suspects - who allegedly radicalized themselves online - were planning to target Vienna in their attack - with the 19-year-old having a particular focus on Swift's Vienna concert, Ruf confirmed.
He added that authorities were aware of 'preparatory actions' for a possible attack.
The 19-year-old had pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State group in early July - police said.
Two suspects have been arrested for allegedly plotting a terror attack on Taylor Swift's upcoming shows in Vienna, Austria - Swift is pictured performing in London in June
The popstar, 34, is due to perform at Vienna's Ernst-Happel Stadion (pictured) on August 8, 9, and 10 and security measures for the shows will be stepped up
A bomb squad reportedly found chemical substances after raiding the 19-year-old's home, who was suspected of possessing an explosive device - and the substances are now being evaluated to see if they could make a bomb.
The names of the suspects have not been released yet.
Ruf said that there would be a special focus on entry checks and concertgoers should plan to arrive in plenty of time.
The shows are expected to be attended by 65,000 concertgoers per day, with an additional 10,000 to 15,000 fans outside of the area, police said.
Vienna police chief Gerhard Purst said that, while any concrete danger had been minimized, an abstract risk justified raising security.
DailyMail.com has contacted Taylor Swift's representative for comment.
The record-breaking Eras Tour will end in Vancouver, Canada, on December 8.
The 152-date concert series, in which Swift runs through hits from her 17-year career, is expected to surpass $2 billion by the end of its run in December, with the staggering per night receipts revealed by Variety last month.
'One source close to the production said early in the Eras Tour era that her average gross each night is $14 million,' reported the outlet. 'Others believe that is a highly conservative estimate, with a possible total that on at least some nights edges closer to $17 million.'
The shows are expected to be attended by 65,000 concertgoers per day, with an additional 10,000 to 15,000 fans outside of the area, police said - Swift pictured performing in Amsterdam in July
The 152-date concert series, in which Swift runs through hits from her 17-year career, is expected to surpass $2 billion by the end of its run in December, with the staggering per night receipts revealed by Variety last month - pictured performing in Munich last month
This marks an increase from earlier Forbes reports, which estimated the figure to be between $10 and $13 million.
Notably, this figure excludes revenue from inflated resale tickets, which have often sold for several times their original price. Swift opted not to profit from the scalping of her own tickets, which averaged around $230 and reached a maximum of $499, excluding VIP packages that topped out at $899.
Additionally, the Eras Tour film, released last fall before the tour ended, grossed over $180 million domestically and $261 million worldwide, surpassing records set by Justin Bieber's concert film in the U.S. and Michael Jackson's globally, per Variety.
The major hiccup for The Eras Tour happened in November 2022 when Ticketmaster's system crashed due to overwhelming demand, causing delays for thousands of fans.
Despite setting a record with 2 million tickets sold in a single day, the blame fell on the ticketing platform, not Swift herself.
While she has had an incredibly successful year - between her 152-date Eras Tour and the release of The Tortured Poets Department - Taylor is already working on new music, which insiders now say could be released as early as next year.
According to sources, the Cruel Summer singer has no plans for a lengthy break and is already working on new music for a 2025 release – and is also in talks to hit the road again in 2026, insiders claim.
Despite some of her fans, or 'Swifties,' voicing apparent fatigue over her constant chart domination and seemingly never-ending release of TTPD variants – of which there are currently 30 plus - Taylor is determined to keep the wheels turning on her lucrative success.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, insiders have claimed she has been writing new material while on the road – which could see her address the controversy surrounding her alleged rivalry with Charli XCX.
‘Taylor is working on a new record which is due out in 2025 followed by a new tour in 2026,’ an insider told DailyMail.com. ‘She is heavily inspired by all the new experiences she is having on the Eras tour and has been quietly writing songs backstage.
