Taylor Swift at Wembley security: After Vienna plot, what measures are in place?

The pop sensation’s three concerts in Vienna have been called off just a week before she’s set to kick off five nights of performances in London.

The cancellations come as fans prepare for the pop star’s concerts at wembley Stadium, which are set to run for five nights, starting on Thursday 15 August.

Here’s a look at what we know about the alleged plot in Vienna, what authorities in the UK have said about whether the London gigs will be affected and what security will be in place at Wembley.

What was the threat in Austria?

Two men – a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old – have been arrested in connection with the suspected terror plot which, police said, looked to target major events in Vienna, including the upcoming Swift concerts.

The suspects had been under surveillance for some time and were well known to Austrian authorities, the officials added.They said the suspect had posted an oath of allegiance to the current leader of Islamic State to an internet account weeks earlier.

The 19-year-old, said to have North Macedonian roots, is considered the main suspect, and worked closely with the 17-year-old Austrian, general director for public security Frankz Ruf told the broadcaster ORF.

He was aiming to “kill himself and a large crowd at the concert,” the head of Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, said.

The 17-year-old had started a job at the concert venue days before the Swift gigs were cancelled.

A 15-year-old Austrian national has also been questioned after being identified as a suspect, an intelligence official has said, according to Reuters, although it is not clear if he is also being detained.

Officials have confirmed no other suspects are being sought.

What the Met Police says about security at the Wembley gigs

Swift already played for three nights at Wembley in June. But such is her popularity, she has five more gigs to go at the stadium – on the 15th, 16th, 17th, 19th and 20th of August.

When asked about the Vienna terror plot and whether it would have an impact on the Wembley gigs, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Sky News: “London plays host to a significant number of very high profile events each year with millions of visitors having a safe and enjoyable experience.

“The Met works closely with venue security teams and other partners to ensure there are appropriate security and policing plans in place.

“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.”

Sky News asked London Mayor Sadiq Khan about whether security plans had changed at Wembley due to the Vienna cancellations.

“We’ve got a huge amount of experience in policing these events. We are never complacent,” Mr Khan said.

The mayor added police “work really closely, not just with City Hall and with councils, but also with those who host concerts”.

“I’m sure Vienna has got its own reasons for deciding to cancel the Taylor Swift concerts,” he continued. “We’re going to carry on working closely with police, ensuring that the concerts can take place in London safely.”

Policing minister Diana Johnson said Scotland Yard will look at “all the intelligence” before the London 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,” she told LBC Radio when asked about Swift’s gigs.

“Can I also just say there is, of course, a commitment in our manifesto in the general election to introduce Martyn’s law, which, again, 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,” Ms Johnson added.

How will police be approaching the London Swift concerts?

Nick Aldworth, a former counter-terrorism national coordinator, gave Sky News some insight into how the Vienna development will be monitored by UK authorities.

“Nationally, counter-terror policing will be trying to get information from their Austrian colleagues to understand the precise nature of the threat,” he said.

“What were the drivers for it, was this a directed attack or an inspired attack? In essence, they will be trying to see if there is any residual or transnational threat that will be greater than their current threat assessment for these concerts, and the entertainment sector more broadly.”

He said it is likely the operators of the venue would decide to call off or postpone the concert rather than the police, but that doing so would be seen “as an extreme response and one that is probably unnecessary providing that they can assure themselves that there is security at the events capable of preventing acts of terrorism”.

Sky News has reached out to Wembley Stadium for comment.

Mr Aldworth says if he were overseeing the concert, he would be assessing whether or not his team were capable of detecting potential terrorist threats based on what is known about them so far.

“If the answer to that question is no, I would then need to understand why not, and what the gap is between that and being able to assure myself that I can keep people safe,” he said.

He added they will need to weigh up the threat not just during the concert, but also before and after it, both at the stadium and outside of it.

Any security personnel working at Wembley “should be” equipped to deal with potential terror threats, he said, as licensed security officers are required to complete online counter-terrorism awareness training every three years.

“There are several parallels between Wembley and Manchester Arena, especially in terms of environmental layout and responsibilities sitting across different organisations who must work together to keep people safe,” he explained.