Man pleads guilty over terror plot to attack Taylor Swift concert

A man accused of plotting to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna has pleaded guilty on the opening day of his trial.

The plot was thwarted but authorities still had to cancel three performances by the pop superstar in August 2024.

The 21-year-old man, referred to as Beran A - as his full name cannot be published due to Austria's privacy rules - pleaded guilty to charges related to the terror plot.

It is unclear what other charges he may have pleaded guilty to.

Beran A faced charges including terror offences and membership of a terrorist organisation. He was arrested on 7 August 2024, the day before the first of three planned concerts.

His defence solicitor previously said he planned to plead guilty to most of the charges. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Beran A is facing trial alongside Arda K, a Slovak national.

They, along with a third man, planned to carry out simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE during Ramadan in 2024, authorities say.

Beran A and Arda K did not carry out their attacks, and only Beran A is charged in connection with the Taylor Swift plot.

Speaking at the start of his questioning by the presiding judge, Beran A said: "I plead guilty ⁠in part."

When asked if he pleaded guilty to the charges relating to the planned concert attack, he said: "Yes."

Authorities say he planned to target onlookers outside Ernst Happel Stadium - where up to 30,000 were expected to gather each night, with another 65,000 inside the venue - with knives or homemade explosives.

He hoped to "kill as many people as possible", authorities said previously.

Beran A is suspected of networking with other members of the ISIS terror group before his planned attack.

Prosecutors said they discussed purchasing weapons and making bombs, and that Beran A also sought to illegally buy weapons, including a machine gun and a hand grenade, in the days ahead of the performance.

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Bomb-making materials were found at his apartment on the day before the concerts were scheduled to begin.

"Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating," Swift wrote in a statement posted to Instagram two weeks later.

"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."

The trial is expected to last until 12 May.

(c) Sky News 2026: Man pleads guilty over terror plot to attack Taylor Swift concert