A 21-year-old Austrian man has admitted plotting a jihadist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in August 2024 - because nothing says 'devotion to a cause' like trying to ruin a pop star's sold-out show.
The man, identified only as Beran A, also confessed to being part of a terrorist organization, though he denied other charges, including involvement in planning an attack in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Because apparently, one foiled plot wasn't enough for his resume.
During a court appearance in Wiener Neustadt, the state prosecutor revealed that police had discovered an almost completed bomb during a search of Beran A's house. The bomb was so close to completion that it was practically ready to ruin someone's day - or worse, cancel a concert.
Beran A was arrested after a tip-off from the CIA, just before Swift's opening concert in Vienna. As a result, all three sold-out gigs at the Ernst Happl Stadium were cancelled, leaving more than 195,000 expected attendees wandering the streets, singing Taylor Swift songs and exchanging friendship bracelets like some kind of post-apocalyptic musical support group.
Beran A, wearing a blue shirt and handcuffs, faced charges of terrorism alongside another 21-year-old, Arda K, who is accused of being part of an Islamic State cell with him. They are also allegedly planning attacks in Istanbul, Dubai, and Mecca - a travel itinerary that's less 'vacation' and more 'global threat.'
The main defendant's lawyer, Anna Mair, told the court: "My client has caused a great deal of fear and panic among many people, and he will have to answer for that, no question. But please try to look beyond the headlines." Because when you're accused of plotting to bomb a Taylor Swift concert, the headlines are already pretty damning.
Prosecutors allege that Beran A started planning the attack by July 21, 2024, and was arrested on August 7 - just one day before the first concert. They accuse him of declaring allegiance to Islamic State, spreading online propaganda, making explosives, and attempting to purchase illegal weapons. He allegedly obtained instructions online on how to make a shrapnel bomb, of a type "specific to IS attacks," which is about as specific as you can get.
He also reportedly received training from other IS members on handling explosives and made several attempts to purchase firearms and a hand grenade through illegal dealers, with the intention of importing them into Austria. Because nothing says 'homegrown threat' like ordering weapons from the dark web.
Both men, who were teenagers at the time, face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. Last year, a German teenager, Mohammed A, received an 18-month suspended sentence for helping prepare the foiled attack - specifically, translating bomb-making instructions from Arabic and connecting Beran A with an IS member. So that's one way to practice language skills.
The trial is expected to continue until late May, giving the court plenty of time to sift through the evidence.
Taylor Swift, one of the world's biggest superstars, learned about the bomb plot while on the plane to Austria, according to a documentary on the Eras Tour. She said the tour narrowly "dodged a massacre situation" when the CIA identified the plot. Speaking at the New York premiere of her Disney+ documentary, she admitted that after performing for 20 years, "being afraid that something is going to happen to your fans is new." A sentiment that probably never appeared in any of her song lyrics.
After the incident, she wrote on social media: "Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives." A poignant reminder that sometimes, the worst thing that happens is just a cancelled show.
The 149-show Eras Tour kicked off in March 2023 and closed in December 2024, spanning five continents, selling over 10.1 million tickets, and becoming the first tour in history to surpass $1 billion in ticket sales. So at least the friendship bracelet economy survived.