Two men have been arrested in Austria in connection with a suspected terror plot, which police believe would have involved three Taylor Swift concerts. Despite the arrests the event organiser, Barracuda Music, said in a post on its Instagram account that they had “no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety” after “confirmation of the planned terrorist attack”.

The superstar was due to play at the Austrian capital’s Ernst Happel Stadium, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week, but officials felt it unwise to proceed, even though the two men had been thwarted. The authorities, with the assistance of Austria’s elite ‘Cobra’ unit, had discovered the aim of the two men was to target major events in Vienna, with the Swift concerts at the head of their hit list.

Federal and state police swooped on the suspected extremists in two separate raids, with director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior, Franz Ruf, reporting that the first suspect was a 19-year-old man, who had allegedly pledged his allegiance to the terror group IS. His arrest took place in the early hours of 7 August, in Ternitz, south of Vienna, with the second person being picked up in the Austrian capital later in the day, but as yet their details are unknown.

Mr Ruf confirmed that both men had become radicalised on the internet and had pledged an allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State, early last month. Police had uncovered specific and detailed plans to carry out the attacks and found chemical substances, which have been taken away to be investigated as possible components for creating a bomb.

There initially had not been a willingness to cancel the trio of  Swift concerts and the performer was said to have been willing to continue, especially as arrests had been made. Indeed, prior to the cancellation announcement, Provincial Police President Gerhard Pürstl, had said officials would step up security measures for the concerts to include the deployment of officers in both uniform and plain clothes. There were also plans for increased video surveillance, and the use of a police dog unit, along with other special law enforcement units.

However, shortly afterwards, somebody obviously decided that continuing with the concerts was not the right thing to do. The shows were expected to draw crowds of around 65,000 each night, and the likelihood of up to 15,000 ticket-less fans outside. This was already a major security operation, so the added threat was seen as too great to allow the concerts to go ahead.

Ticket holders have been told that full refunds will automatically take place. It remains to be seen if any rearranged dates are added to the Swift schedule. Her “Eros Tour” is nearing the end of a marathon run, having begun in Glendale, Arizona in March 2023, with the final concert due to be played in Vancouver, Canada, on 8 December 2024.