Taylor Swift was forced to cancel three planned concerts in Vienna during her Eras Tour after Austrian police uncovered an alleged terror plot

Alleged terrorists were plotting to kill “tens of thousands of people” at Taylor Swift’s Vienna shows.

The deputy director of the CIA has confirmed that the alleged ISIS terror plot at Swift’s concerts in Austria was intended to kill a huge number of people. David S. Cohen revealed at the Intelligence and National Security Summit that the information Austrian authorities used to stop the terror plot was given to the CIA.

“They were plotting to kill a huge number, tens of thousands of people at this concert, I am sure many Americans,” Cohen said. “The Austrians were able to make those arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community provided them information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do.”

Earlier this month, Swift was forced to cancel her three Vienna dates at Ernts Happel Stadium after authorities were made aware of the terror plot. A 17-year-old male and a 19-year-old male were arrested on August 7 while an 18-year-old was arrested the following day for allegedly plotting terror attacks on Swift’s shows.

Taylor was forced to cancel her three Vienna shows (Image:

Getty Images)

At the time, Franz Ruf, director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior, stated in a press conference that the suspects were allegedly radicalised online. Ruf said the 19-year-old suspect allegedly pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State last month.

Mr Ruf said that authorities were aware of “preparatory actions” for a possible attack “and also that there is a focus by the 19-year-old perpetrator on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna”, the Austria Press Agency reported.

Swift went on to perform five sold out gigs at Wembley Stadium in London before addressing the “devastating” Vienna cancellations. Taking to Instagram, after the Europe leg of her Eras Tour came to an end, she said: “Walking onstage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions.

“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”

She continued, “I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together. I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us. Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows.”

“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that,” the singer concluded.

Last week, snipers were spotted patrolling the roof of Coldplay’s gig in Vienna after the thwarted terror attack on Swift’s shows. A huge police presence attended Wednesday night’s event, which was the first concert to take place at the Ernst Happel Stadium after Swift’s gigs were scrapped earlier this month.

Vienna police reassured fans that the gun cops were a precautionary measure as part of enhanced safety measures, telling social media users: “Our job is to comprehensively secure the concert, including the positioning on the roof. Don’t worry about the police and enjoy the concert instead!”

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

READ NEXT:

• Jeff Brazier ‘hardly knew’ Jade Goody when she fell pregnant with first son Bobby
• Four bombshells from Keir Starmer’s major speech – from ‘painful’ Budget to winter fuel payments
• United Airlines turbulence horror as seven passengers injured on flight to Chicago
• Richard Simmons’ cause of death finally revealed as autopsy made public
• Carer whose car was torched during riots buys Peugeot SUV after GoFundMe U-turn