A 21-year-old Austrian man pleaded guilty in part at the start of his trial over a foiled plan to carry out an attack inspired by the Islamic State group at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024. The suspect, identified as Beran A, was arrested one day before the first of three scheduled concerts, which were subsequently canceled.

Prosecutors allege he used online instructions from the extremist group to attempt to build a shrapnel bomb, produced a small quantity of the explosive triacetone peroxide, and tried to obtain illegal weapons, including a machine gun and a hand grenade. If convicted on terrorism-related charges, he faces a potential prison sentence of 10 to 20 years.

The case also involves allegations that Beran A and a Slovak co-defendant, Arda K, planned separate attacks in the Middle East earlier in 2024. While both men admitted traveling with the intention of carrying out assaults in Dubai and Istanbul, they said they ultimately did not follow through. A third associate is in custody in Saudi Arabia on suspicion of stabbing a security official in Mecca.

During court proceedings, Beran A said he experienced panic attacks that prevented him from carrying out violence abroad and described feeling torn between committing the act and fearing death. The trial is scheduled to continue through late May, when a verdict is expected.