A 21-year-old Austrian man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to plotting a terrorist attack targeting Taylor Swift's sold-out concerts in Vienna in August 2024, according to Austrian news outlets and the Associated Press. The defendant, identified only as Beran A. due to Austrian privacy laws, admitted to devising a plan to attack Ernst Happel Stadium, where Swift was scheduled to perform three shows. The concerts were canceled after authorities uncovered the plot.
Prosecutors said Beran aimed to kill as many people as possible, targeting up to 30,000 fans outside the venue and 65,000 inside during each concert. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Two other suspects, Arda K. and an unnamed third individual, allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks in other countries, but Beran is the only one charged in connection with the Swift plot. U.S. intelligence assistance helped Austrian authorities foil the attack.