Taylor Swift Vienna concert terror plot: Austrian man pleads guilty as trial begins
An Austrian man accused of planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna has pleaded guilty as his trial opened. The case has renewed focus on the foiled threat that led to the cancellation of three shows and left fans devastated.
A 21-year-old Austrian man accused of supporting the Islamic State group and plotting an attack ar a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in August 2024 has pleaded guilty as his trial began, according to Austrian media. The alleged plot was foiled, but Austrian authorities still cancelled Swift’s three scheduled shows in the city.
Local reports said the man, identified as Beran A, admitted to charges linked to the concert terror plot, although it was not immediately clear which other charges he had accepted. Fans who had travelled to Vienna from around the world were left heartbroken by the cancellations, but many of them gathered across the city to exchange friendship bracelets and sing together.
Beran A is facing charges including terrorist offences and membership of a terrorist organisation. His lawyer said he would plead guilty to most of the charges. He could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years. He is being tried alongside Arda K, whose full name has not been made public.
Prosecutors said Beran A, Arda K and a third man had planned attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE during Ramadan in 2024 on behalf of the Islamic State group. Beran and Arda did not carry out the planned attacks in Turkey and the UAE. Only Beran A has been charged in connection with the alleged Taylor Swift concert plot. He is accused of planning to attack people outside the stadium with knives or improvised bombs in an attempt to kill as many people as possible.
Prosecutors have separately charged Arda K over the alleged plans for attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE. The third man, Hasan E, is accused of stabbing a security guard at the Grand Mosque in Mecca in March 2024 and is being held in Saudi Arabia. Prosecutors said Beran A returned to Vienna after the other plans were not carried out and then allegedly began preparing the concert attack.
According to the case presented by prosecutors, US intelligence was among the factors that led to the cancellation of the concerts. Beran A is also accused of communicating with other Islamic State members about buying weapons and making bombs, attempting to obtain weapons before the concert, and swearing allegiance to the group. Police searched his flat on August 7, 2024, a day before the concerts were due to begin, and said they found bomb-making materials there.
Swift later said the cancellation of the Vienna shows was devastating and that it left her feeling scared and guilty because so many people had planned to attend. The trial is being held in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna, and is set to continue on May 12.
The Vienna plot has been compared with the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, which killed 22 people and was the deadliest extremist attack in the UK in recent years.
A 21-year-old Austrian man accused of supporting the Islamic State group and plotting an attack ar a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in August 2024 has pleaded guilty as his trial began, according to Austrian media. The alleged plot was foiled, but Austrian authorities still cancelled Swift’s three scheduled shows in the city.
Local reports said the man, identified as Beran A, admitted to charges linked to the concert terror plot, although it was not immediately clear which other charges he had accepted. Fans who had travelled to Vienna from around the world were left heartbroken by the cancellations, but many of them gathered across the city to exchange friendship bracelets and sing together.
Beran A is facing charges including terrorist offences and membership of a terrorist organisation. His lawyer said he would plead guilty to most of the charges. He could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years. He is being tried alongside Arda K, whose full name has not been made public.
Prosecutors said Beran A, Arda K and a third man had planned attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE during Ramadan in 2024 on behalf of the Islamic State group. Beran and Arda did not carry out the planned attacks in Turkey and the UAE. Only Beran A has been charged in connection with the alleged Taylor Swift concert plot. He is accused of planning to attack people outside the stadium with knives or improvised bombs in an attempt to kill as many people as possible.
Prosecutors have separately charged Arda K over the alleged plans for attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE. The third man, Hasan E, is accused of stabbing a security guard at the Grand Mosque in Mecca in March 2024 and is being held in Saudi Arabia. Prosecutors said Beran A returned to Vienna after the other plans were not carried out and then allegedly began preparing the concert attack.
According to the case presented by prosecutors, US intelligence was among the factors that led to the cancellation of the concerts. Beran A is also accused of communicating with other Islamic State members about buying weapons and making bombs, attempting to obtain weapons before the concert, and swearing allegiance to the group. Police searched his flat on August 7, 2024, a day before the concerts were due to begin, and said they found bomb-making materials there.
Swift later said the cancellation of the Vienna shows was devastating and that it left her feeling scared and guilty because so many people had planned to attend. The trial is being held in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna, and is set to continue on May 12.
The Vienna plot has been compared with the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, which killed 22 people and was the deadliest extremist attack in the UK in recent years.
