VIENNA, Austria — A 21-year-old man pleaded guilty on April 28, 2026, in a court in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, to multiple terror-related charges linked to a planned attack on a Taylor Swift concert in 2024 that led to the cancellation of three shows in Vienna, according to court proceedings.
The defendant, identified as Beran A., admitted guilt on most charges but denied attempted murder, his lawyer Anna Mair said in court. Authorities arrested him in August 2024 and have held him in detention since.
Prosecutors said Beran A. joined an Islamic State-linked network in 2023 and helped plan an attack targeting a concert by Taylor Swift as part of what they described as preparations for a terrorist operation. They said he attempted to obtain weapons and develop an explosive device and received instructions from others associated with the group.
Authorities cancelled three Vienna performances of Swift’s “Eras Tour” in 2024 after security agencies identified the alleged plot. The investigation involved cooperation with U.S. intelligence agencies.
Prosecutors also alleged that Beran A. and another defendant encouraged a third individual, who later carried out a stabbing attack in Mecca in 2024. That individual is currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia.
A second defendant, Arda K., is also on trial in the same case. A third suspect, Hasan E., remains imprisoned in Saudi Arabia in connection with separate attacks.
Prosecutors said the group formed a cell that planned multiple attacks in different locations, including abroad. Beran A. faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The trial is scheduled to last four days.
