WIENER NEUSTADT, Austria — An Austrian court is set to deliver its decision Thursday in the case of a young man who confessed to planning an assault on a Taylor Swift performance in Vienna almost two years ago.
Although authorities successfully prevented the attack, officials in Austria decided to call off Swift’s trio of scheduled shows in August 2024.
The accused, a 21-year-old Austrian national identified only as Beran A. according to Austrian privacy laws, is charged with terrorist-related crimes and belonging to a terrorist group.
According to his defense lawyer, he entered a guilty plea to the charges connected to the concert scheme when the trial began last month. The maximum sentence he could receive is 20 years behind bars.
Prosecutors allege that Beran A. intended to harm concertgoers outside the Ernst Happel Stadium using knives or explosive devices he made himself. Thousands of Taylor Swift supporters, commonly called Swifties, had made the journey to Austria for the pop star’s historic Eras Tour shows. Crushed by the show cancellations, many fans congregated in Vienna’s city center to exchange friendship bracelets and share their disappointment over the cancelled events.
Beran A. stands trial with Arda K., whose complete identity has also been kept confidential. These two defendants, along with a third individual who was taken into custody and continues to be held in Saudi Arabia awaiting trial, reportedly conspired to execute coordinated attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during the 2024 Ramadan period on behalf of the Islamic State group.
Beran A. alone faces charges regarding the concert attack plan. He entered a not guilty plea concerning the charges tied to the coordinated international attack scheme.
The timeline for Thursday’s verdict remains uncertain, as expert testimony must still be presented and final arguments delivered.
