A 21-year-old Austrian man has pleaded guilty in court to plotting a jihadist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna nearly two years ago, which led to the cancellation of the US singer's three scheduled performances in August 2024.
The defendant, identified as Beran A under Austrian privacy rules, admitted to charges related to the plan to kill onlookers massing outside the Ernst Happel stadium using knives or homemade explosives. The plot was thwarted at the last minute, but authorities still scrapped the concerts, devastating fans who had travelled from around the world for the Eras Tour.
Beran A faces charges including terrorist offences and membership of a terrorist organisation, and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. His defence attorney said he deeply regrets his actions, calling it 'the biggest mistake of his life'.
Prosecutors allege Beran A shared Islamic State propaganda, swore allegiance to the militant group, and attempted to buy weapons including a machine gun and hand grenade. Authorities found bomb-making material in his flat on 7 August 2024, the day before the concerts were to begin.
The trial, being held in Wiener Neustadt, also involves a second man, Arda K, who pleaded guilty to travelling to Istanbul with the intention of carrying out a militant attack. A third man, Hasan E, is in custody in Saudi Arabia on suspicion of stabbing a security guard at Mecca's Grand Mosque in March 2024.
