An Austrian court is expected to deliver its verdict on Thursday in the trial of a 21-year-old man accused of plotting a jihadist attack targeting a concert by pop superstar Taylor Swift during her “Eras” tour in Vienna last year.
The suspect, identified as Beran A., has pleaded guilty to multiple terrorism-related charges connected to the foiled plot, which led to the cancellation of Swift’s scheduled concerts in the Austrian capital in the summer of 2024.
Authorities said the concerts at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium were cancelled after intelligence warnings revealed plans for an attack allegedly linked to the Islamic State group.
Beran A. went on trial last month in Wiener Neustadt, near Vienna, on charges including terrorism offences and forming an Islamic State cell.
The defendant, who was arrested a day before the cancelled concert and has remained in custody since then, pleaded guilty to all charges except complicity in attempted murder.
He appeared in court on Thursday alongside co-defendant Arda K., with both men escorted by masked police officers.
During proceedings, the court heard testimony from psychological experts before final arguments were presented ahead of the jury’s decision.
If convicted on all counts, Beran A. could face up to 20 years in prison. However, his lawyer, Anna Mair, said the sentence could be reduced to a maximum of 10 years if he is acquitted of the attempted murder-related charge.
In his testimony during the trial, Beran A. admitted he had become convinced he “had to wage jihad,” though he said he was also “afraid to die.”
He told the court he selected the packed stadium hosting Swift’s concert as a target and described efforts to obtain bomb-making instructions online.
According to prosecutors, he sought advice on weapons and explosives through extremist chat groups and communicated with a senior Islamic State member.
In closing remarks, both defendants apologised before the court.
“I just want to say that I’m sorry,” Beran A. stated.
Prosecutors allege that Beran A., Arda K., and a third suspect, Hasan E., formed a “highly dangerous IS terror cell” planning multiple attacks in the name of Islamic State.
Hasan E. is currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia over allegations that he stabbed a security officer in Mecca in 2024 and injured four other people.
Defence lawyer Anna Mair urged the court to acquit her client of charges relating to encouragement of the Mecca attack, arguing there was insufficient evidence.
“Beran is not a leader, he is not an ideological mastermind,” she said.
Prosecutors, however, told jurors they had an opportunity to “send a clear signal” that terrorism offences would be punished fully under the law.
Authorities said the alleged attack plot was thwarted with assistance from United States intelligence agencies.
Following the cancellation of the Vienna concerts, Swift wrote on social media that the incident left her with “a new sense of fear” and guilt over disappointing fans who had planned to attend the shows.
In a related case last year, a court in Berlin convicted a Syrian teenager for contributing to the plot and handed the 16-year-old an 18-month suspended sentence.
