A 19-year-old Austrian terrorism suspect with North Macedonian roots had taken concrete steps in planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert, authorities revealed. The suspect, who pledged allegiance to the radical Islamic State group, was found with chemical substances and technical devices during a search of his residence in Ternitz. Working closely with a 17-year-old Austrian accomplice, the suspect had allegedly planned to drive a car into the crowd outside the stadium and potentially use machetes and knives.

Swift's three Vienna concerts, expected to draw 195,000 people, were canceled late Wednesday after the government flagged the planned attack. The arrests have minimized the immediate threat, though investigations into the suspects' wider network are ongoing. The shows were part of Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour, which began in March 2023 and is set to conclude in December 2024. Swift has not yet commented on the cancellations.