**By Andy Eckardt and Henry Austin**
*MAINZ, Germany* — The prime suspect in a plot targeting Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour shows in Vienna has confessed to planning a mass suicide attack using knives and explosive devices, Austrian officials revealed on Thursday.
The 19-year-old Austrian, who has North Macedonian roots, had downloaded bomb-making manuals, according to Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of Austria's Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, who spoke at a news conference.
Authorities also discovered hydrogen peroxide, homemade explosives, detonators, and detonator cables in the suspect's apartment, Haijawi-Pirchner added.
"The situation was serious, and it remains serious. However, we can also say that a tragedy was averted," Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated during the same press briefing.
He further noted, "Large concerts are often targets for Islamist attacks."
Taylor Swift was scheduled to perform at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with an estimated 170,000 fans expected to attend over the three days. However, following the news of a plot to attack the concerts, event organizer Barracuda Music announced on Wednesday that they had "no choice but to cancel" the shows for the safety of everyone involved.
The cancellation was confirmed by Taylor Nation, an Instagram account managed by Swift’s team, which shared the organizer's message in its story. The post informed fans that all tickets would be refunded and provided a link for ticketholders to request their refunds.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed his disappointment in a post on social media platform X, acknowledging the cancellation as a "bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria." He emphasized that the situation surrounding the planned terror attack was extremely serious but credited the early detection and collaboration between police, Austrian, and foreign intelligence agencies for preventing a tragedy.
Swift has previously voiced her concerns about the threat of a terrorist attack at one of her stadium shows. In a 2019 interview with *Elle* magazine, she shared that her biggest fear was the possibility of such an attack. Reflecting on incidents like the Manchester Arena bombing and the Las Vegas concert shooting, Swift admitted she was "completely terrified" to go on tour, uncertain about how to ensure the safety of her 3 million fans over the seven-month period of her then-upcoming Lover Tour, which was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
*Reporting by Andy Eckardt from Mainz and Henry Austin from London.*
