A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty in an Austrian court to an alleged plot to attack pop star Taylor Swift’s concert in Vienna, a development that comes almost two years after the planned concerts were canceled due to security concerns.
According to an AFP report, the accused, identified as Beran A., confessed to most of the charges against him during the trial in Wiener Neustadt near Vienna. His barrister Anna Mair told the court he pleaded guilty to all charges except attempted murder.
The case concerns an alleged extremist plot that led to the cancellation of three Vienna dates of the record-breaking Eras Tour Swift in the summer of 2024.
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Alleged terrorist plot linked to the concert
Prosecutors accused Beran A., along with another 21-year-old, Arda K., and a third suspect, Hasan E., of forming what they described as a “very dangerous” terrorist cell inspired by the Islamic State.
Authorities say Beran A. planned the attack at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, where Swift was scheduled to perform, before the show was canceled.
According to court documents cited in the report, the accused allegedly tried to obtain weapons and researched the manufacture of a shrapnel-based explosive device. Prosecutors also said he received instructions from people connected to the extremist group regarding the handling of explosives.
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However, Beran A. said in his testimony to the court that he had not completed a specific plan before his arrest in August 2024, just two days before the first scheduled concert.
Statements made during legal proceedings
During the hearing, the accused reportedly said he had come to believe he “had to wage jihad” but also admitted he was “afraid to die”, Austria’s APA news agency reported.
He also told the court that he had failed to build a bomb and communicated mainly through online chat groups, including with people described as allied with the extremist organisation.
“I was looking for encouragement. I liked getting attention,” he said, as reported.
Links to other alleged incidents
Prosecutors also alleged that the accused was involved in planning attacks outside Austria.
During the trial Beran A. said that in March 2024 he traveled to Dubai where he bought knives with the intention of targeting security personnel. However, he claimed he abandoned the plan after experiencing a panic attack and left without carrying out any attack.
A third suspect, Hasan E., who is currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, was accused of stabbing a security official in Mecca in 2024 and injuring four others before being apprehended.
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Austrian authorities said they were in contact with him through diplomatic channels.
Case management and charges
The trial of Beren A. and Arda K. will continue with several hearings until May 21. Beran A. faces a potential prison term of up to 20 years if convicted on the charges.
He has been in custody since his arrest in August 2024.
The defendants also allegedly supported Hasan E. before the Mecca incident, although Beran A. denied inciting the attack, according to his lawyer.
Concert cancellation and consequences
The alleged plot was eventually foiled with the help of US intelligence, leading authorities to cancel Swift’s Vienna concerts as a precaution.
Following the cancellation, Swift addressed the situation on social media, saying the reason for the decision left her with a “new sense of dread” and “tremendous guilt” for fans who had planned to attend.
In a related development, a court in Berlin last year convicted a Syrian teenager of contributing to the plot. The 16-year-old received an 18-month suspended sentence.
