Man Jailed 15 Years Over Foiled Plot to Attack Taylor Swift Vienna Concert
Court convicts 21-year-old in Austria over terrorism-related plan targeting Eras Tour shows, which were cancelled after intelligence warning.
An Austrian court has sentenced a 21-year-old man to 15 years in prison for plotting a jihadist attack on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert in Vienna. The planned attack, which was disrupted following a CIA tip-off in 2024, led to the cancellation of three sold-out shows and the arrest of multiple suspects.
An Austrian court has sentenced a 21-year-old man to 15 years in prison after convicting him over a planned terrorist attack targeting a Taylor Swift concert during her Eras Tour in Vienna.
The defendant, identified as Beran A. under Austrian privacy laws, was found guilty of multiple terrorism-related offences after admitting involvement in the foiled plot ahead of the singer’s scheduled performances in August 2024.
According to international reports, including BBC News and Reuters, the suspect was arrested on August 7, 2024, a day before the first of three sold-out concerts at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium.
Authorities said the planned attack was disrupted following intelligence provided by the CIA, prompting the immediate cancellation of all three concerts, which were expected to host nearly 200,000 fans.
During proceedings at the Wiener Neustadt court, south of Vienna, the defendant pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, telling the court, “I would just like to say that I am sorry.”
Prosecutors told the court that the suspect had become radicalised and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.
Investigators said he attempted to acquire weapons, including a machine gun and a hand grenade, and studied instructions on making explosives from online extremist material.
He was also found to have produced a quantity of triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly unstable explosive linked to past terror attacks.
A court-appointed psychiatrist testified that the defendant showed no signs of mental illness and that there was no psychological explanation for his radicalisation.
Authorities said the suspect intended to attack concertgoers outside the stadium using knives and homemade explosives.
A second defendant, Arda K., was also sentenced to 12 years in prison for related terrorism offences linked to the same network.
Following the incident in 2024, Taylor Swift described the cancellation of her Vienna concerts as devastating, noting that she was grateful authorities prevented a potential tragedy.
