Man pleads guilty to plotting attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna

A 21-year-old Austrian citizen known as Beran A. pleaded guilty Tuesday to plotting an Islamic State-inspired terror attack aimed at killing tens of thousands at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.

He intended to strike Ernst Happel Stadium during the Eras Tour in August 2024, targeting up to 30,000 fans gathered outside the venue plus another 65,000 inside. Authorities said Beran A. planned to use knives or homemade explosives to “kill as many people as possible.”

The defendant swore allegiance to the Islamic State group and networked with other members, discussing purchases of weapons and the manufacture of bombs.

U.S. intelligence uncovered the plot (CIA), directly feeding into the Austrian decision to cancel all three scheduled performances.

Police searched Beran A.’s apartment on August 7, 2024, and found bomb-making materials. The concerts were set to begin the next day.

He has been in custody since then, facing charges of terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization.

Beran A. also stood trial alongside another man for a separate plan to carry out simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan 2024. He pleaded not guilty to those charges.

His defense attorney stated outside court, “Of course, he deeply regrets it all. … he says it was the biggest mistake of his life.”