Man charged with terrorism offences over plans to attack Taylor Swift concert | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV

A man has been charged with terrorism and other offences over a plot to carry out an attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, Austria, in August 2024. Identified only as Beran A, the Austrian and North Macedonian national has been accused of being a member of a terrorist organisation, making explosives and attempting to purchase weapons illegally, prosecutors said. 

In a statement released on Monday by Vienna prosecutor’s office, the 21-year-old is alleged to have been a member of the Islamic State. It read: “The defendant is accused in particular of having participated, from May 2023 until his arrest in August 2024, as a member of a terrorist organisation aimed at enabling one or more members to carry out terrorist attacks.” 

The man is accused of obtaining bomb-making plans online and receiving instruction from ISIS members on how to handling explosives. He is also accused of spreading Islamic State “propaganda material” online, buying materials to produce an explosive and trying to buy firearms online. 

The man was arrested after a tip-off from the CIA before one of the three concerts Ms Swift was scheduled to carry out in Vienna that month as part of the Eras tour.  

The suspect’s lawyer had previously disputed accusations made against his client.  

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Last year, a 16-year-old Syrian national who had been arrested in 2024 was given an 18-month suspended sentence by a court in Germany over the plot, but avoided prison under juvenile criminal law.  

A third person, also a teenager, had also been arrested in 2024 in connection with the incident.    

Swift had been scheduled to perform three shows in Vienna as part of her Eras Tour, but the concerts were cancelled after police announced a terror plot had been foiled the evening before the first gig, sold out much like the other two shows, was due to take place. 

In a post on social media shared two years ago, Ms Swift said it was “devastating” to cancel the event, but added she was “so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives”.