On Wednesday August 7th, Vienna police announced they had arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly planning an Islamist attack that "focussed" on Taylor Swift's concerts.
The concerts were to be held on Thursday, August 8th, Friday, August 9th and Sunday, August 10th, at the Ernst-Happel Stadium in Vienna.
The man fully confessed to the plans, Austrian authorities said on Thursday. In his home in a Lower Austrian town nearing Vienna, they found dangerous chemicals, fake cash, a machete, and knives.
Even though authorities say they are not looking for any other suspects, the terror level in Vienna remains at a high level (the second highest possible), but this has been the case since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.
What do these developments mean for other major concerts and events, most notably the four mega Coldplay events set to take place in two weeks in the same stadium as the Taylor Swift tour?
Summer in Vienna is also a busy time for open-air events, with several cinemas, parties and pop-up events coming up.
One of the largest open-air vegan festivals, the Veganmania festival, is set to take place from August 23rd to 25th in the Donauinsel.
The Ottakringer Bierfest is also happening at the end of the month, with many participants expected in the streets of Vienna's 16th district and, of course, the yearly music festival at City Hall Square is open every day until September.
Just outside of Vienna, St Pölten is hosting the FM4 Frequency festival, with the participation of British singer Ed Sheeran and is expected to gather thousands of concertgoers.
READ ALSO: Taylor Swift Vienna concerts: What we know about the terror threat
'No explicit danger'
When asked about the safety of other planned events, including the Coldplay concerts, Austria's DSN (Directorate of State Security and Intelligence Service) director Omar Haijawi-Pirchner said: "There is no information of explicit danger to further concerts".
The British rock band Coldplay has four sold-out concerts scheduled for August 21st, 22nd, 24th, and 25th.
However, he did acknowledge that the terror threat level in Vienna - as well as in other European countries - has been high since last year. He also mentioned that large gatherings, including concerts, are often targets of terrorist attacks.
Summer in Vienna is also a busy time for open-air events, with several cinemas, parties and pop up events coming up. One of the largest open-air vegan festivals, the Veganmania festival, is set to take place from August 23rd to 25th in the Donauinsel.
The Ottakringer Bierfest is also happening at the end of the month, with many participants expected in the streets of Vienna's 16th district. Of course, the yearly music festival at City Hall Square is open every day until September. Just outside of Vienna, St Pölten is hosting the FM4 Frequency festival, with British singer Ed Sheeran participating and expected to gather thousands of concertgoers.
In the case of the Taylor Swift concert, Haijawi-Pirchner confirmed that the suspect had targeted the thousands of people expected to stay outside of the venue. With tickets sold out throughout, it has become an "Eras Tour" tradition for fans without a ticket to get together near the stadiums to listen and celebrate during the concerts.
While trying to infiltrate a stadium for an attack during the concert is much more complicated, the open-air parties where Swifties meet up would be easier targets.
Taylor Swift's concerts were cancelled by the producer of the events, and the police said there was not specific recommendation for the cancellation. There are no statements yet regarding whether or not other events will be cancelled. Barracuda Music, the producer that decided to cancel the Taylor Swift event, is not responsible for the Coldplay events.
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