The main suspect in the case of planning an attack on singer Taylor Swift's concert in Vienna two years ago has been charged with terrorism and other offenses, which could result in a prison sentence of over 20 years.
Foreign news agencies reported on 16 Feb 2026 that a 21-year-old Austrian man has been charged with terrorism and other offenses for planning an attack on Taylor Swift's concert in Vienna in August 2024.
The Austrian prosecutor alleges that the suspect, identified as Beran A., is a member of a terrorist organization, manufactured explosives, and attempted to illegally acquire weapons.
He is also accused of spreading propaganda for the Islamic State (ISIS). He was arrested after Austrian authorities received a tip from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and he could face 20 years in prison if convicted.
The arrest led to the cancellation of the American superstar's concert scheduled at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, despite tickets selling out for all three shows, with over 195,000 expected attendees.
In total, three people were arrested in connection with the plot to attack Taylor Swift's Vienna concert, including Beran A., all of whom were teenagers at the time.
In 2025, a German court sentenced a 16-year-old Syrian teenager named Mohamed A. to 18 months probation related to the same attack plot. He avoided imprisonment under German juvenile criminal law.
The Vienna prosecutor's office announced charges against Beran A., the main suspect, on Monday (16 Feb). The indictment states he received online instructions and built shrapnel-laden improvised explosive devices using triacetone triperoxide (TATP) explosives.
The statement further noted that this type of shrapnel bomb is a method specific to ISIS, and authorities believe Beran A. sought advice from ISIS members on how to carry out bombings.
Previously, in 2024, the CIA reported that the perpetrator intended to kill many concertgoers. Investigators also accused Beran A. of planning a coordinated three-point ISIS attack in Dubai in March 2024, but he changed his mind at the last minute.
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Source:bbc