Austrian man faces terror charges over Taylor Swift concert attack plot

Austrian man faces terror charges over Taylor Swift concert attack plotTopic:Courts5m ago5 minutes agoMon 16 Feb 2026 at 10:31pmTaylor Swift's three planned concerts in Vienna in August 2024 were cancelled over concerns of a terror threat. (Christine Olsson/TT News Agency/via Reuters)In short:A 21-year-old Austrian man has been charged with terrorism-related charges over a planned attack on a 2024 Taylor Swift concert in the Austrian capital, Vienna.Prosecutors accuse him of being a member of the Islamic State and carrying out online research into a type of shrapnel bomb used by the Islamist militant group.What's next?Prosecutors say they plan to bring a criminal case against the suspect in Wiener Neustadt, a town near Vienna. If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison.abc.net.au/news/man-charged-over-taylor-swift-concert-attack-plot/106352344Link copiedShareShare articleAustrian prosecutors have filed terrorism-related charges against a now 21-year-old man who they say planned to carry out an Islamist militant attack at one of Taylor Swift's 2024 concerts in Vienna.Three dates in Swift's record-breaking Eras tour were cancelled in the summer of 2024 after authorities warned of a terror plot.The main suspect, who has been in detention since his arrest in August 2024, is facing terror offences and other charges, the Vienna prosecutors said in a statement on Monday, local time.Austrian police offers watching Swifties gathering in the city centre in Vienna on August 8, 2024. (AP Photo: Heinz-Peter Bader)The statement from the prosecutors' office did not name the suspect, but he was identified by Austrian media as Beran A.The Austrian is accused of being a member of the Islamic State and carrying out online research into a type of shrapnel bomb used by that militant group, while spreading IS "propaganda material" online.He is also accused of producing a small amount of the explosive triacetone triperoxide and attempting to purchase weapons illegally.Taylor Swift explains her silence after Vienna Eras Tour cancellations In her first comments since the shows were cancelled due to a foiled terror plot, Taylor Swift has explained her decision to keep silent until the European leg wrapped up. The prosecutors said they planned to bring a criminal case against Beran A in Wiener Neustadt, a town near Vienna. If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison.Investigators alleged he was involved in other attack plans abroad, including in Dubai and Istanbul, though those attacks never materialised.Beran A's lawyer was not immediately available for comment, but has previously disputed accusations made against his client.In a post on social media two years ago, Swift described the Vienna concert cancellations as "devastating"."The reason for the cancellations had filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to the shows," she had said."But I was so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts, not lives."The alleged terror plot was thwarted with the help of US intelligence."The United States has an enduring focus on our counterterrorism mission," then-White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said."We work closely with partners all over the world to monitor and disrupt threats. And so as part of that work, the United States did share information with Austrian partners to enable the disruption of a threat to Taylor Swift's concerts there in Vienna."Reuters/AFPPosted 5m ago5 minutes agoMon 16 Feb 2026 at 10:31pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesSkilled workers are considering leaving the trades — and toilets are to blameTopic:Work