Taylor Swift followers promote tickets after alleged terror assault plot
Taylor Swift fans have rushed to sell their tickets for five concerts at Wembley Stadium, after a teenager allegedly planned a terror attack on one of the star’s Austria shows.
Resale ticket site Viagogo had 839 two-seated tickets on sale for between £400 to £600, while other Taylor Swift fans asked Wembley to reschedule the events for later this month.
It comes after a 19-year-old Islamic State fanatic, identified as Beran A, is said to have obtained a blue flashing light and siren that could have enabled him to drive up to the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna where the shows were taking place.
The vehicle would be used to run over concert-goers before he emerged to attack them with knives and machetes and then trigger the bomb, potentially killing scores more, according to Austrian media.
The atrocity was allegedly planned for 4pm, when around 65,000 Swifties were due in the area, along with 30,000 who hadn’t secured tickets.
Ms Swift is due to perform again in London from August 15 to 20 while her three concerts – last night, today and tomorrow – in Vienna have now been cancelled.
Taylor Swift has cancelled her three upcoming Vienna, Austria concerts after two suspects were arrested for allegedly plotting a terror attack on her shows – Swift is pictured performing in London in June
Taylor Swift performs on stage at Wembley Stadium on June 22, 2024
The popstar, 34, was due to perform at Vienna’s Ernst-Happel Stadion (pictured) on August 8, 9, and 10
Swift’s concert promoter confirmed the cancellation in a post, citing public safety
The 19-year-old ISIS fanatic has been identified as Beran A., who lived in a newly-built semi-terraced house in Ternitz, south of Vienna, where he spent his childhood
The 19-year-old man – who was living in his parents’ house (white house pictured right) along with another man – was arrested on Wednesday after police raided the home
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the capital will ‘carry on’ with hosting Ms Swift’s shows.
He told Sky News: ‘We are an international city, we regularly host major events – we’re looking forward to welcoming Taylor Swift back.’
One Taylor Swift fan said: ‘If shows won’t be re-scheduled, security better be 200x stricter than before please, we can’t let anyone get hurt.’
Another added: ‘I hope the Wembley shows are cancelled. I want to see the shows so much but I’m scared.’
The US star’s fans are renowned for gathering outside her concerts when they don’t have seats.
Beran A, whose parents emigrated from North Macedonia to Austria, was arrested at his home in Ternitz, south of Vienna, on Wednesday following a tip-off from US intelligence services last month.
A 17-year-old was detained outside the concert venue later the same day. He is believed to have Austrian citizenship but has Turkish and Croatian roots. It was reported that the younger teenager had recently taken a job at the stadium, potentially facilitating the attack.
Ternitz residents described Beran A as a ‘harmless boy next door’ who went to a local school and wore jeans and trainers – until recently.
But he changed last month, allegedly pledging allegiance to terror group Islamic State and growing a long beard. A disturbing image shows him wielding huge zombie knives and an IS flag.
Taylor Swift fans gathered in Vienna (pictured)
The shows were 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
One local, who gave her name as Mara, said she last saw him on Tuesday, adding: ‘He looked like how you would imagine a sleeper agent for a terrorist cell.’
Bomb experts who searched his house seized ‘technical equipment’ and chemicals which can be used to produce the sort of explosives previously used by IS. Director-general for public safety Franz Ruf told journalists: ‘A clear threat has been averted.’
Beran A is said to have stolen the chemicals from a stainless steel plant in Ternitz where he worked with his father, until he quit two weeks ago.
His parents and sister have been on holiday in North Macedonia and are expected to be questioned on their return. Beran A, who also had blank ammunition and 21,000 Euros (£18,000) in cash, confessed to his plans to ‘kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue’, security officials said.
He uploaded an oath of allegiance to the leader of IS in July, along with a video admitting responsibility for the bomb plot.
Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, Austria’s security chief, said Beran A was ‘clearly radicalised in the direction of IS and thinks it is right to kill ‘infidels’.’ Material relating to IS and Al Qaeda was found with the second suspect. A 15-year-old Austrian of Turkish heritage who had been in contact with both suspects is also being questioned.
Around 195,000 fans were due to attend the three concerts in Vienna. All have now been cancelled and the promoter has offered full refunds.
British band Coldplay are to play four shows in the city later this month. It is not clear if these will go ahead.
Last week, 40,000 congregated on hills near the Munich Olympic Stadium in Germany.
Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer wrote on X: ‘Violent means are being used to attack our Western way of life.’
British policing minister Diana Johnson said Scotland Yard would be looking at ‘all the intelligence’ before Ms Swift’s five concerts in Wembley Stadium next week.
