Taylor Swift’s canceled Eras Tour concerts in Vienna “highlight the increased security risks associated with large-scale events,” security expert Morgan Stevens exclusively told Us Weekly.
Stevens, who is the vice president of intelligence operations at Crisis24 Private Strategic Group, explained that “bigger shows” like the record-breaking Eras Tour pose “greater risks” to artists and attendees alike.
“Large concerts like Taylor Swift’s draw tens of thousands of assailable fans, making them attractive targets for potential attackers aiming to maximize impact, attention and casualties,” Stevens told Us on Thursday, August 8. “It’s widely reported that the Vienna concerts were expected to draw 70,000 fans each night, with similar concerts attracting an additional 10,000 to 20,000 outside the arena.”
Swift, 34, was due to headline three Eras concerts at Austria’s Ernst Happel Stadium between Thursday and Saturday, August 10. The shows were canceled on Wednesday, August 7, after local police arrested two men for allegedly planning an attack at the arena. A raid on the home of one of the suspects, a 19-year-old with alleged ties to ISIS, revealed a stockpile of chemical substances. An investigation is currently ongoing to determine whether the materials could have been used to build an atomic weapon.
According to Stevens, shows like Swift’s are primarily targeted for a “shock and awe” value.
“High-profile events, especially the reported Eras Tour, have received extensive media coverage, which can amplify the visibility of an attack,” Stevens told Us. “This publicity is often a goal for attackers seeking to spread fear through their physical message.”
He continued, “The larger the event, the more challenging it becomes to secure. Ensuring the safety of attendees, its talent and staff involves coordinating multiple security agencies with competing agendas and priorities. This can lead to increases in miscommunication and adds to the potential for oversights or lapses in security.”
Stevens further noted that with such types of “high-profile events” comes more attention from those “intending to commit nefarious acts of terrorism or violence.”
“While the popularity of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour does make the event a more prominent target, the underlying reasons are rooted in the characteristics of large public gatherings,” Stevens said, noting the assailants often look for a place to “cause maximum harm.”
Swift has not publicly addressed the situation, which Stevens compared to the 2017 bombing at Ariana Grande’s Manchester Arena concert. The British incident incited a longstanding fear in Swift.
“My biggest fear. After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months,” Swift previously wrote in a 2019 essay for Elle. “My fear of violence has continued into my personal life. I carry QuikClot army grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds. … You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things.”
According to Stevens, Swift is likely working with a security team, similar to Stevens’ GardaWorld firm, to ensure everyone’s safety at her concerts moving forward. (Swift next performs her Eras Tour at London’s Wembley Stadium later this month.)
“We work with a number of high-profile individuals and organizations. At Crisis24 Private Strategic Group, our high-profile clients benefit from a multilayered security apparatus,” Stevens said, noting clients employ personal security professionals and work with the event team. “At static locations such as meetings, events and venues, additional security measures are put in place.”
Firms like Crisis24 also make sure that there is “threat assessment and contingency planning” long before anything takes place.
“When not on tour or traveling, high-profile residences are protected by state-of-the-art security systems, including alarms, surveillance cameras and trained security personnel,” Stevens said, adding that his colleagues help combat online threats as well.
With reporting by Sarah Jones
