Following the cancellation of her three Eras Tour concerts in Vienna, which were targeted by an ISIS-connected terrorist plot, Taylor Swift’s performances at Wembley Stadium in London later this month are set to go ahead – with probable added security measures.
The pop megastar closes the European leg of her Eras Tour in London on 15, 16, 17, 19 and 20 August – dates which have not been cancelled at the time of writing.
A source has told Variety that tour promoter AEG are currently working closely with both Wembley and Swift’s team to review the situation, including any additional security measures that may be implemented.
A spokesman for the city's Metropolitan Police said: "There is nothing to indicate that the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have an impact on upcoming events here in London.”
"As always, we will continue to keep any new information under careful review."
Diana Johnson, Minister for Policing of the United Kingdom, stated that Scotland Yard is currently evaluating intelligence ahead of the concerts.
“Clearly, the police will be looking at all the intelligence and making decisions, they risk assess every event that happens in this country, and that’s something for the police,” Johnson told LBC Radio.
The minister also said that there is a provision to invoke Martyn’s law, which “is about making sure that those venues which could be subject to terrorist attack have in place everything that they need in terms of keeping people safe, and that will be brought forward by the government shortly.”
As previously stated, Swift was scheduled to perform today, Friday and Saturday nights at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. Two suspects were arrested, including a 19-year-old man who pledged his allegiance to ISIS.
Both were arrested on Wednesday after police raided the 19-year-old’s home and found various chemicals and substances.
The Kurier newspaper reported that the suspect had stolen the chemicals from his workplace and had built a bomb. It also claimed that the teenager had planned to drive a car into the crowd outside the stadium - and had considered using knives to kill as many people as possible.
Authorities have confirmed that a “tragedy was prevented” with his arrest.
In a 2019 interview with Elle, Swift shared that an attack on one of her gigs was "her biggest fear".
"After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting [also in 2017], I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep three million fans safe over seven months."
She added: “There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe."
The UK riots are also something of a concern, even if thousands of anti-racism protesters have recently taken to the streets to counter the violent anti-immigration protests.
The shocking scenes of violence come in the wake of the killing of three children at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport on 30 July. Swift said she was "completely in shock" over the atrocity.
There are also persistent rumours that Swift could be heading to Paris on Sunday for the closing ceremony of the Olympics, joining the likes of AIR, Phoenix and Tom Cruise, who are also rumoured to be taking part in the closing show.
Swift’s involvement has not yet been confirmed.
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