Man goes on trial over alleged Taylor Swift concert attack plot

A 21-year-old man has appeared in court in Austria accused of helping plot an attack on a Taylor Swift concert, a threat that forced the cancellation of the pop star’s scheduled 2024 performances in the country.

Authorities pulled the plug on three summer 2024 dates on Ms Swift’s record-setting “Eras” tour after warning that an alleged attack was in the works.

Beran A., brought into court by masked police officers, has remained in custody since his arrest in August 2024 and is charged with terror-related crimes along with other offences.

Taylor Swift’s record-setting ‘Eras’ tour lost several Austrian dates after officials warned of an alleged plot

Prosecutors say the Austrian national belonged to a terrorist organisation from May 2023 and had been “planning and preparing a terrorist attack on the concert of singer Taylor Swift”.

According to the prosecution, he sought to obtain weapons as part of the alleged scheme and worked on assembling a shrapnel bomb “specific to IS attacks” while also receiving guidance from other IS members on the handling of explosives.

Alleged overseas attack plans

He is also accused of taking part in other attack planning outside Austria, including in Dubai and Istanbul, although prosecutors say those plots were never carried out.

A second 21-year-old defendant, Arda K., is being tried alongside Beran A., Austrian news agency APA reported.

Prosecutors allege the pair, along with a third man, Hasan E., who is jailed in Saudi Arabia, formed a “highly dangerous IS terror cell” that was preparing multiple attacks in the name of IS.

Three scheduled Taylor Swift shows at Ernst-Happel-Stadion were called off

The proceedings against the two men are expected to run for four days.

If convicted, Beran A. could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Last year, a court in Berlin convicted a Syrian teenager of helping advance the plot targeting the Swift concert.

The 16-year-old received an 18-month suspended sentence. US intelligence helped foil the plan.

Ms Swift later said on social media that “the reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many had planned on coming to those shows”.