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WIENER NEUSTADT, Austria – A 21-year-old Austrian man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and plotting an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna has pleaded guilty as his trial commenced Tuesday, according to his defense attorney.
The planned attack, aimed at one of Swift’s concerts scheduled for August 2024, was foiled by authorities, though the singer’s three performances in Vienna were ultimately canceled. Fans of Swift, known as Swifties, who had traveled from around the world to see her Eras Tour, were left heartbroken but transformed the city into a vibrant hub of friendship bracelet exchanges and singalongs in the wake of the cancellations.
The defendant, identified only as Beran A. in accordance with Austrian privacy laws, faces charges that include terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. He has been held in custody since August 2024.
The plot drew chilling parallels to the 2017 Manchester bombing at an Ariana Grande concert, where a suicide bomber killed 22 people as concertgoers were leaving the venue. That attack remains one of the deadliest extremist incidents in the United Kingdom in recent memory.
Beran A.’s lawyer, Anna Mair, confirmed her client’s guilty plea regarding the concert-related charges. “He deeply regrets his actions,” Mair said outside the courtroom. “The lengthy detention has made him realize it was the biggest mistake of his life.”
Reports indicate that Beran A. also admitted to being a member of a terrorist organization.
Alongside Beran A., co-defendant Arda K. faces trial for allegedly plotting simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan 2024, also in the name of the Islamic State. While Beran A. was charged specifically in connection with the Vienna concert plot, he has pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the broader international attack plans.
Authorities say Beran A. intended to target the large crowds gathered outside Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium-up to 30,000 spectators nightly, with an additional 65,000 inside the venue-using knives or homemade explosives. The goal was reportedly to inflict maximum casualties.
U.S. intelligence reportedly played a key role in uncovering the plot, leading to the decision to cancel the concerts. Searches of Beran A.’s apartment on August 7, 2024, uncovered bomb-making materials just one day before the shows were set to begin.
Prosecutors allege that Beran A. communicated with other Islamic State members, discussing weapon purchases and bomb-making. He also sought to acquire weapons illegally in the days preceding the concert.
Taylor Swift addressed the cancellations in an Instagram statement shortly after, expressing her devastation and a profound sense of fear and guilt for fans who had planned to attend the shows.
The trial is taking place in Wiener Neustadt, roughly an hour south of Vienna, with proceedings scheduled to continue on May 12.
In related developments, Arda K. faces terrorism charges linked to the planned attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE. Another suspect, Hasan E., reportedly stabbed a security guard at the Grand Mosque in Mecca in March 2024 and remains in pretrial detention in Saudi Arabia.
While Beran A. and Arda K. did not carry out their plots in Turkey and the UAE, Beran A. returned to Vienna and allegedly shifted his focus to the Swift concert attack before his arrest.