A concert at Geneva Arena was cancelled shortly before it was due to start following an online terror threat.

French rapper Lomepal was set to headline the 9,500-cap Swiss arena on Saturday night (25 February), but the venue was evacuated after a threat was allegedly made on a social network.

“We received information that a threat had been made targeting the concert,” police spokesperson Tiffany Cudré-Mauroux tells Keystone-SDA news agency, via Swiss Info. “For precautionary reasons, it was decided to evacuate the premises and to carry out a search.”

Emergency services including police, bomb disposal experts and firefighters were deployed to the scene along with sniffer dogs. The Office of the Attorney General of Geneva says a 40-year-old man has been arrested and is set to appear before prosecutors.

A 40-YEAR-OLD MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND IS SET TO APPEAR BEFORE PROSECUTORS

Promoter Soldout Productions confirms to Radio Lac that “the concert was cancelled and the hall was evacuated on the orders of the police”, adding that the evacuation took place “calmly and without clashes”.

Director Julien Rouyer tells Le Temps the company is doing everything it can to find a replacement date for the show, which was part of Lomepal’s tour of Switzerland, France and Belgium.

A Geneva Arena statement says: “The Lomepal concert scheduled for this Saturday at the Geneva Arena unfortunately had to be cancelled and the room evacuated on the orders of the cantonal police. At the request of the authorities, no information could be given to the public during the evening.

“The management of the artist, Soldout Productions and the arena are doing everything possible to find a replacement date.
Tickets from February 25 will be valid for the new date.

“As soon as this is communicated, more information will be sent about the procedure to follow for the possible reimbursement of tickets in the event that the spectators cannot/do not wish to attend the new concert. We are sorry for this situation and thank the fans for their understanding.”

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