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Tim Walz, 'Folksy' Socialist
Taylor Swift isn’t saying “So Long, London.”
The 14-time Grammy winner is expected to bring her Eras Tour to the UK capital next week after her three shows in Vienna were canceled Wednesday due to a terrorist threat.
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, told Sky News Thursday that he plans to welcome the pop superstar to his city on Aug. 15 as she kicks off her five sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium before returning to North America.
“We have a huge amount of experience in policing these events. We’re never complacent, many lessons were learned after the awful Manchester Arena attack,” Khan said, referencing the 2017 tragedy at an Ariana Grande concert that left 23 — including the assailant — dead.
“The police work closely, not just with City Hall and with councils, but also with those who host concerts, like the Taylor Swift concert coming up over the next couple of weeks.”
He continued, “I’m sure Vienna has got its own reasons for deciding to cancel the Taylor Swift concerts, we’re going to carry on, working closely with police [and] ensuring that the Taylor Swift concerts can take place in London safely.”
Swifties were left heartbroken Wednesday when all three of the singer’s shows in the Austrian capital were canceled after police confirmed a planned attack on Ernst Happel Stadium.
Following the news, fans gathered near the venue to sing their favorite Swift songs and exchange friendship bracelets.
The “Karma” hitmaker, 34, had been scheduled to perform her first of three shows on Thursday evening.
Authorities confirmed two young men, ages 17 and 19, were taken into custody in Vienna earlier this week.
Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, said Thursday that the 19-year-old suspect “wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made,” per the Associated Press.
Authorities raided the 19-year-old’s home and found chemical substances and technical devices.
The 17-year-old suspect, who has refused to speak to police, had Islamic State group and al-Qaida material at his house.
Swift has not yet spoken publicly about the terrorist plot or her canceled shows.
Barracuda Music, the organizers behind the concerts, confirmed all tickets would be fully refunded.
No plans to reschedule the Vienna dates have been announced.
