The legal proceedings against a man accused of pledging loyalty to the Islamic State and planning an attack on a concert by pop star, Taylor Swift, in Vienna are set to commence on Tuesday in Austria, nearly two years after the foiled plot.
Although the attack was prevented, Austrian authorities cancelled three scheduled performances of Swift’s August 2024 Eras Tour shows as a precaution.
The decision left thousands of international fans, known as Swifties, disappointed after travelling to attend the concerts.
Many of them, however, turned Vienna into a spontaneous celebration space filled with friendship bracelet exchanges and mass singalongs.
The accused, a 21-year-old Austrian identified only as Beran A. in line with national privacy laws, is facing charges including terrorism-related offences and membership of a terrorist organisation. If convicted, he could receive a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
His lawyer, Anna Mair, told The Associated Press on Monday that her client intends to plead guilty to most of the charges, although she did not clarify which specific counts he will admit.
Prosecutors allege that Beran A. planned to target crowds gathered outside the Ernst Happel Stadium, where up to 30,000 people were expected outside and 65,000 inside each night. Authorities say the suspect intended to use knives or improvised explosives, with the goal of causing mass casualties. Intelligence shared by the United States contributed to the decision to cancel the concerts.
Investigators also claim he maintained contact with other Islamic State members while preparing for the attack. He is alleged to have discussed acquiring weapons and constructing explosives, and to have attempted illegal arms purchases shortly before the scheduled performances. Authorities further stated that he had sworn allegiance to the extremist group.
A search of his apartment on August 7, 2024, reportedly uncovered materials used in bomb-making. The concerts were due to begin the following day.
In a statement shared on Instagram two weeks after the cancellation, Swift described the emotional impact of the incident.
“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” Swift wrote in a statement posted to Instagram two weeks later. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
The trial is taking place in Wiener Neustadt, located about an hour south of Vienna, and proceedings are expected to continue on May 12.
In addition to Beran A., prosecutors have also brought terrorism-related charges against another suspect identified as Arda K.
According to the prosecution, Beran A., Arda K., and a third man referred to as Hasan E. allegedly coordinated plans for simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan in 2024, all allegedly carried out in the name of Islamic State.
Hasan E. is accused of stabbing a security guard at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on March 11, 2024. He was arrested and remains in pre-trial detention in Saudi Arabia, according to Austrian prosecutors.
While the other two suspects did not proceed with their alleged plans in Turkey and the UAE, Beran A. reportedly returned to Vienna and began planning the attempted attack on Swift’s concert.
The foiled Vienna plot has drawn parallels with the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, which killed 22 people and remains one of the deadliest extremist attacks in recent UK history.
