An Austrian court has sentenced a 21-year-old man to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of planning an attack targeting a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna that was scheduled to take place in 2024.
The verdict was delivered by the state court in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna, after the defendant was convicted on multiple terrorism-related charges.
Authorities said the suspect had planned to target people gathered outside Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium using knives and homemade explosives during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts.
The alleged attack was successfully prevented by security authorities. However, the threat resulted in the cancellation of all three Taylor Swift concerts scheduled in Vienna in August 2024.
During the trial, the defendant admitted to charges connected to the concert attack plot and expressed remorse before the court delivered its verdict.
Investigators revealed that bomb-making materials were discovered during a search of his apartment on August 7, 2024, just one day before the concerts were due to begin.
Prosecutors also alleged that the suspect had communicated with members of the Islamic State (IS) group and discussed obtaining weapons and manufacturing explosives ahead of the planned attack.
The case drew significant international attention due to the enormous popularity of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which had attracted tens of thousands of fans to Austria.
Following the cancellation of the concerts, large numbers of fans gathered in Vienna to support one another and commemorate the event despite the disappointment.
A second defendant, also aged 21, was convicted on separate terrorism-related charges and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Authorities said the pair were linked to broader extremist activities that allegedly involved planned attacks in several countries.
The case remains one of the most high-profile terrorism investigations connected to a major entertainment event in recent years.
