WIENER NEUSTADT – A verdict is expected Thursday in the case of a man who admitted to plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna nearly two years ago.
The alleged attack was stopped before it could happen, but the threat was serious enough for Austrian officials to cancel Swift’s three performances scheduled for August 2024. Fans who were looking forward to the concerts were left devastated.
The man on trial, a 21-year-old Austrian known as Beran A. (his full name is kept private under Austrian law), faces serious charges including terrorist offenses and being part of a terrorist organization. His lawyer stated that Beran A. pleaded guilty to the charges regarding the concert plot during the trial’s opening day last month. If convicted, he could spend up to 20 years in prison.
Reports suggest that Beran A. had planned to attack concertgoers with knives or homemade explosives outside the Ernst Happel Stadium, where Swift’s concert was set to take place. Thousands of dedicated fans, known as Swifties, had traveled to Austria for the record-breaking Eras Tour. After the cancellation, many fans gathered in central Vienna to swap friendship bracelets and share their disappointment.
Beran A. is not alone in facing legal troubles. He is on trial with another individual, Arda K., whose full details are also kept private. Together with a third man currently in custody in Saudi Arabia, they allegedly plotted simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan 2024, claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group.
While Beran A. has pleaded guilty to the concert-related charges, he has not admitted guilt regarding the plans for the attacks. The court is still in the process of hearing expert testimonies and will soon hear closing arguments, so it is unclear how long it will take to reach a verdict.
