Austrian Man, 21, Who Allegedly Planned Terror Attack on Taylor Swift Concert Is Charged

A 21-year-old Austrian man, who allegedly planned to carry out a terror-related attack on a 2024 Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, has been charged.

Austrian prosecutors filed terrorism-related charges against the man on Monday, February 16, according to the Associated Press.

The BBC and multiple news outlets have identified the man only as Beran A.

Prosecutors said that the man had declared allegiance to jihadist militant organization Islamic State (IS) by sharing propaganda material, per the AP. He reportedly faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

The man was also reportedly accused of obtaining “instructions on the internet for the construction of a shrapnel bomb.”

Prosecutors plan to proceed with a criminal case against the man who, a spokesperson told the AP, is in custody.

Three of the 36-year-old pop star’s shows in Vienna were canceled at the time in August 2024.

The “Cruel Summer” singer previously addressed how saddened she was to have to cancel the shows, but she stressed that she was putting her fans’ safety first.

“The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” Swift wrote on social media at the time, per CNN.

“I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together,” she added. “I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.”

“I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she said. “In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that.”