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A 21-year-old Austrian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting to planning a terrorist attack targeting one of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts in Vienna in August 2024.
The man, identified in court as Beran A under Austrian privacy laws, was convicted on multiple terrorism-related charges following a trial in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna.
Prosecutors said he had become radicalized online, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, and intended to carry out an attack during Swift's sold-out concerts at Ernst Happel Stadium.
Authorities arrested Beran A on August 7, 2024, one day before the first scheduled show, after receiving a tip-off from the CIA. The concerts were immediately canceled, affecting nearly 200,000 fans who had planned to attend the performances.
According to prosecutors, Beran A attempted to illegally obtain weapons including a machine gun and a hand grenade. Investigators also said he followed instructions from an Islamic State video titled "Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom" in an effort to create explosives.
During the trial, Beran A admitted to the main charges and apologized before the verdict was delivered. "I would just like to say that I am sorry," he told the court.
The court also heard details of earlier alleged extremist plans involving Beran A and two former school friends. Prosecutors said the group had discussed carrying out attacks in Middle Eastern cities earlier in 2024.
Beran A reportedly traveled to Dubai with the intention of stabbing victims but later backed out after suffering what he described as a panic attack.
A second defendant, identified as Arda K from Slovakia, was also convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison for terrorism-related offenses connected to the wider extremist network. However, prosecutors said he was not directly involved in the planned attack on Swift's concert.
Defense lawyer Anna Mair argued that Beran A was "not an ideological mastermind," but jurors still found him guilty on most charges brought against him.
Following the foiled plot last year, Swift described the incident as a near "massacre situation" and admitted the cancellations left her with "a tremendous amount of guilt." However, she also thanked authorities, saying fans were "grieving concerts and not lives."
