Court finds man guilty in plot to attack Taylor Swift concert in Austria

An Austrian court has convicted a man of planning to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna nearly two years ago.

The state court in Wiener Neustadt found the 21-year-old defendant, an Austrian citizen known only as Beran A in line with Austrian privacy rules, guilty on charges including those related to the concert, the Austria Press Agency reported.

His defence lawyer said he admitted to the charges related to the concert plot during the opening day of the trial last month.

The concert plot was thwarted, but Austrian authorities still cancelled Swift’s three performances in August 2024.

In short final words to the court before it adjourned to consider a verdict on Thursday, Beran A said: “I would just like to say that I am sorry.”

Beran A planned to target people outside the Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives, the court heard.

Tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans, known as Swifties, had travelled to Austria to attend the performances of the American singer’s record-setting Eras Tour.

Devastated by the cancellations, many gathered in central Vienna to trade friendship bracelets and commiserate about the cancellations.