Austrian Man Pleads Guilty to Plotting Attack on Taylor Swift Concerts in Vienna

A 21-year-old Austrian man named Beran A. pleaded guilty on April 28, 2026, in a court in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, to charges related to plotting a jihadist attack on Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna. The plea covered all accusations except attempted murder, according to his lawyer, Anna Mair.

Beran A. admitted to membership in a terrorist organization, sharing Islamic State propaganda, and preparing a shrapnel bomb for the attack. The trial, which began on April 28, 2026, is scheduled to last four days and continue until May 12, 2026.

Beran A. has been in detention since his arrest on August 6, 2024. Prosecutors stated that he joined a terror organization in May 2023 by planning and preparing the attack on Swift's concert, aligning himself with the Islamic State through propaganda shared on messaging services.

's house, as detailed by the state prosecutor. On August 7, 2024, police searched his apartment and discovered bomb-making materials. Prosecutors said Beran A. planned to make a shrapnel bomb specific to Islamic State attacks and received instructions from Islamic State members on handling explosives.

Beran A. swore allegiance to the Islamic State group and networked with its members, discussing weapon purchases and bomb-making. He sought to illegally buy weapons before the concert. The plot targeted up to 30,000 people outside Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna with knives or homemade explosives, while 65,000 were expected inside.

The concerts, part of Swift's Eras Tour, were scheduled to begin on August 8, 2024, but Austrian authorities canceled all three shows due to the plot. U.S. intelligence.

Beran A. , for forming a highly dangerous Islamic State terror cell with a third man, Hasan E. Prosecutors accused the group of planning simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan 2024 in the name of the Islamic State.