Man Who Plotted to Attack Taylor Swift’s Vienna Shows Apologizes in Court as Jury Considers Verdict
The 21-year-old Austrian man who admitted to planning a knife-and-explosives attack outside Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Vienna apologized in court Thursday as a verdict was expected in his trial. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
- Beran A., 21, a Austrian citizen who admitted to plotting an attack on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Vienna in August 2024, told an Austrian court Thursday: "I would like to say that I’m sorry" — brief remarks made ahead of the court’s deliberation on a verdict
- He faces charges including terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization, which carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years; his defense attorney says he pleaded guilty during the opening of the trial last month
- Beran A. allegedly planned to target crowds outside Ernst Happel Stadium with knives and homemade explosives as tens of thousands of Swifties had traveled to Vienna for three Eras Tour shows; Austrian authorities thwarted the plot and canceled all three performances on August 8, 9, and 10
- He is also alleged to have networked with other members of ISIS ahead of the planned attack; he faces trial alongside Arda K., and a third man remains in pretrial detention in Saudi Arabia
- The three allegedly planned coordinated attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE during Ramadan 2024 under the ISIS banner
Nearly two years after Austrian authorities thwarted a plot to attack Taylor Swift fans in Vienna, the man who admitted to planning it stood in a Wiener Neustadt courtroom Thursday and said two words: "I’m sorry."
Beran A. — identified only by first name and last initial under Austrian privacy rules — offered the brief apology before the court adjourned to consider a verdict in his case. The 21-year-old Austrian citizen faces charges of terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization, which carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
His defense attorney said Beran A. pleaded guilty to all charges related to the concert plot when the trial opened last month. The apology Thursday was the last thing the court heard before deliberations began.
What He Allegedly Planned
According to prosecutors, Beran A. had planned to target crowds gathered outside Ernst Happel Stadium with knives and homemade explosives. Swift had been scheduled to perform three consecutive nights — August 8, 9, and 10, 2024 — as part of the record-breaking Eras Tour. Tens of thousands of Swifties had traveled to Austria for the shows, per Billboard.
Austrian authorities detected the plot before it could be carried out and canceled all three performances out of an abundance of caution. In the aftermath, fans who had already arrived in Vienna gathered in the city center to trade friendship bracelets and commiserate over the cancellations.
The case goes beyond Vienna. Per the Associated Press, Beran A. also allegedly networked with other members of the Islamic State group ahead of the planned attack, and is facing trial alongside a second defendant, Arda K. A third man — also allegedly involved in the broader scheme — was arrested and remains in pretrial detention in Saudi Arabia. The three reportedly planned simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan 2024 in the name of ISIS. Only Beran A. faces charges specifically connected to the Swift concert plot.
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