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Taylor Swift concert terror plot in 2024 leads to terrorism charges against 21-year-old man

By
Published  February 18, 2026 11:39am MST
Terrorism
FOX Local
article

FILE-Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Stadion Letzigrund Zürich on July 09, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Noam Galai/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

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The Brief 

    • A 21-year-old man is in custody and facing terrorism charges related to a plot to attack concert attendees at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna nearly two years ago.
    • Authorities stopped the attack and the man and two other suspects were arrested for their roles in the incident.
    • Swift cancelled several concerts in Vienna due to the foiled attack.

A 21-year-old man is facing terrorism-related charges after prosecutors said he planned to conduct an attack on one of singer Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna in 2024. 

A spokesperson for the Vienna public prosecutors told the Associated Press that the defendant, who was not identified, is in custody. But Austrian media identified the man as Beran A. adding that he was arrested in August 2024.

In a statement from the Vienna prosecutors, obtained by the Associated Press, the group said the unidentified defendant pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State group by sharing material and videos from different messaging platforms. 

RELATED: Suspects in Taylor Swift concert attack plot aimed to kill ‘tens of thousands,’ CIA says

Prosecutors allege that the man obtained instructions online on how to build a shrapnel bomb based on the "explosive triacetone triperoxide" usually utilized by the Islamic State, and of having created a small portion of the explosive. 

The man also allegedly made attempts to purchase weapons illegally outside the country to bring them to Austria, the AP reported, citing prosecutors. 

What happened in the Taylor Swift concert attack plot?

The backstory:

In 2024, suspects attempted to attack concertgoers at Taylor Swift’s Vienna. The primary suspect planned to target onlookers gathered outside Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives during the concert. Authorities told the Associated Press that he hoped to "kill as many people as possible."

Swift went on to cancel all her Vienna shows amid the terror plot. 

RELATED: Taylor Swift speaks on canceled Vienna shows: 'Devastating, but grateful'

Investigators discovered bomb-making materials at the main suspect’s home, and Islamic State group and al-Qaida material at a 17-year-old’s home. That suspect, who has so far refused to talk, was employed a few days ago by a company providing unspecified services at the venue for the concerts.

That same year, a 19-year-old man, 17-year-old, and an 18-year-old were all arrested for their involvement in the terror plot. 

In the aftermath of the incident, Swift addressed the foiled attack on Instagram, writing "Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating," Swift posted on Instagram as she wrapped up the European leg of her Eras tour. "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. I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together," Swift continued. 

The Source: Information for this story was provided by previous LIVENOW from FOX reporting and the Associated Press. This story was reported from Washington, D.C. 

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