Man Accused of Planning Terrorist Attack at Taylor Swift Concert Faces Trial

An Austrian man accused of planning a terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert has gone on trial at a court south of Vienna. The 21-year-old, Beran Aliyi, was arrested in August 2024 for allegedly joining the Islamic State (IS) and plotting to carry out a mass killing of concertgoers using explosives.

Swift was supposed to perform at Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion over three nights between Aug. 8 and 10, 2024, as part of her Eras Tour. The concerts would have been her first shows in Austria, and around 200,000 fans were expected to attend.

Just days before the concerts, authorities in Vienna received a tip-off from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) about a potential terrorist attack at the venue. A day before the shows were scheduled to begin, police raided Aliyi's home in Ternitz.

According to investigators, they recovered triacetone triperoxide (TATP), an explosive, €21,000 in counterfeit cash and a stockpile of machetes from his home. Aliyi, who is an Austrian-Macedonian dual national, was arrested at the scene. Prosecutors allege that the man had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State a month before his arrest.

He was allegedly being helped by a 16-year-old boy from Germany named Mohammed A, who helped him contact the Islamic State and translated bomb-making instructions for him. Mohammed A has already received an 18-month suspended sentence in Germany.

Investigators also allege that Aliyi planned to conceal an explosive in a Red Bull can and detonate it after driving a Volkswagen Beetle into the crowd as people lined up to enter the venue. Apart from detonating the explosive, he allegedly planned to launch a knife attack on concertgoers.

The attack would have led to mass casualties but was thwarted. Despite Aliyi's arrest, concert organizers decided to cancel the shows due to security concerns. While Swift’s fans were left disappointed, they gathered in the streets of Vienna, singing her songs and exchanging friendship bracelets.

“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. 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,” Swift said in a social media post a few days later.

Aliyi is now facing charges of joining a terrorist organisation, attempting to procure firearms illegally, preparing explosives, and declaring allegiance to, and spreading online propaganda online for, the jihadist group Islamic State.

According to neighbors, Aliyi was seen as a harmless individual until the days leading up to his arrest. He then began spreading extremist views and changed his appearance by growing a long beard.

His lawyer, Anna Mair, has said he will plead guilty to most of the charges. His trial is expected to conclude by May 12. If convicted, Aliyi could face up to 20 years in prison. Meanwhile, another 21-year-old, named Arda K, will be undergoing trial along with Aliyi on the accusation of being an IS member.