An Austrian court has sentenced a 21-year-old man to 15 years in prison for planning a foiled Islamist attack targeting a concert by Taylor Swift in Vienna in 2024. The court found the accused guilty of multiple terrorism-related offences after he admitted involvement in the planned attack.
The accused, identified only as Beran A under Austrian privacy laws, was arrested on August 7, 2024, just one day before the first of Swift’s three scheduled concerts in Vienna. Following the arrest, all three shows were cancelled due to security concerns, disappointing thousands of fans worldwide.
During the trial, Beran A reportedly admitted attempting to obtain illegal weapons, including a machine gun and a hand grenade. Investigators also revealed that he had followed instructions from an extremist video to create a small quantity of the explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP).
According to court proceedings, the accused had earlier travelled to Dubai in March 2024 with intentions of carrying out a knife attack but failed to act after suffering a panic attack. Upon returning to Vienna, prosecutors said he shifted his focus toward targeting the Taylor Swift concert.
The court also heard details about separate alleged plans involving two school friends. One co-defendant, Arda K, admitted travelling to Istanbul with similar intentions and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Authorities further linked the group to another suspect arrested in Saudi Arabia after allegedly attacking a security official in Mecca.
Although the defence argued that Beran A was not an extremist mastermind, the jury convicted him on most charges presented during the trial.
The case drew global attention due to the massive popularity of Swift and the large crowds expected at the Vienna concerts.
