Man Pleads Guilty in Foiled Terrorist Plot Targeting Taylor Swift Concert in Austria
The suspect, identified only as 21-year-old Beran A, faces additional charges connected with terrorist attacks. His trial is expected to run through May 12.
Taylor Swift performs at London's Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour on June 21, 2024. (Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
A 21-year-old Austrian man has pleaded guilty to plotting a terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in 2024, as part of her “Eras Tour” in Vienna.
The trial for the defendant, identified only as “Beran A” due to Austrian privacy laws, began on April 28 in the regional court of Wiener Neustadt, where he faced charges of terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization.
Prosecutors alleged he was involved in a jihadist-inspired plot targeting one of the pop star’s scheduled performances in August 2024, along with planning to carry out simultaneous attacks across the Middle East with two other individuals.
“Of course, he deeply regrets it all,” his defense attorney, Anna Mair, told reporters outside court. “He says it was the biggest mistake of his life.”
According to investigators, his plot was thwarted just one day before the first of three sold out concerts at Ernst Happel Stadium, where he allegedly planned to target onlookers outside the venue using knives or homemade explosives.
Intelligence provided by U.S. agencies assisted in preventing the attack by alerting Austrian authorities, leading to Beran’s arrest. The incident prompted the cancellation of all of Swift’s shows in the capital city due to safety precautions.
“Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating,” wrote Swift in an Instagram statement at the time. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
“I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she added. “I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together.”
Taylor Swift attends the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2025. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Authorities say the suspect allegedly pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State group and networked with other members ahead of the planned attack. He hoped to “kill as many people as possible,” and attempted to illegally purchase weapons.
Upon searching his apartment, officials discovered bomb-making materials and accused the suspect of undergoing training from the Islamic State group on how to properly handle explosives, as well as receiving video instructions on how to create a shrapnel bomb.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years behind bars. His trial is expected to continue through May 12, as he pleaded not guilty to separate charges he is facing with the other planned terrorist attack plots.
Meanwhile, the case has drawn comparisons to previous terrorist attacks on live music events, including the 2017 bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that left 22 people dead.
