Man Pleads Guilty to Plotting Islamist Attack on Taylor Swift Concert in Vienna
Authorities thwarted the plot to kill ‘as many people as possible’ by the 21-year-old defendant, with the superstar singer forced to cancel three planned shows.
Defendant Beran A hides his face as he is escorted from the courtroom in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, on April 28, 2026, as he faces charges for plotting an attack on one of singer Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna in August 2024 and pledging allegiance to the ISIS terrorist group. Matthias Schrader/AP Photo
A 21-year-old man pleaded guilty to planning a thwarted Islamist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna on the opening day of his trial near the Austrian capital on Tuesday.
The defendant, identified only as Beran A under Austrian privacy laws, was arrested on Aug. 7, 2024, the day before the first of three planned concerts by the American superstar in Vienna.
Rachel Roberts is a London-based journalist with a background in local then national news. She focuses on health and education stories and has a particular interest in vaccines and issues impacting children.
