ISIS terrorist pleads guilty in Vienna to Taylor Swift concert massacre plot
Prosecutors said that the would-be terrorist also connected with a 16-year-old in Germany named as Mohammed A.
Author of the article:Brad Hunter
Published Apr 28, 2026 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
Beran A. hides his face
Defendant Beran A. hides his face behind file folders as he is escorted out of the courtroom in the District Court in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, on April 28, 2026. Photo by ROLAND SCHLAGER /AFP
The explosives were stashed in a can of Red Bull with carnage planned for a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.
And after the bombs went off, wannabe Islamic State terrorist Beran Aliyi, 21, would massacre survivors by mowing them down outside the venue in his VW Beetle.
Miraculously, the slaughter was thwarted, and Aliyi on Tuesday pleaded guilty in an Austrian court to plotting the carnage.
Now, the Austrian-Macedonian dual national with Albanian roots is facing 20 years in prison for joining a terrorist organization, preparing explosives and illegally attempting to procure firearms.
Months meticulously plotting
Aliyi allegedly spent months plotting and meticulously planning the carnage before Swift’s August 2024 concerts at Ernst Happel Stadium.
The ISIS fan boy planned to use a bogus police siren and flashing blue lights to get close to his victims so he could slaughter them. That would not be enough to sate the terrorist’s bloodlust: After the attack, he planned to uses knives and machetes to cut down any Swiftie survivors.
The accused terrorist had a stockpile of knives and machetes. GETTY IMAGES
The accused terrorist had a stockpile of knives and machetes. GETTY IMAGES
Taylor Swift had been slated for a three-night stand with more than 195,000 tickets snapped up by Swifties in minutes. According to the U.K. Sun, officials expected 30,000 fans outside each night with another 65,000 inside. The stadium is Austria’s largest venue.
“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” Swift said. “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.”
Tipster spoiled the bloodbath
A tipster spoiled the planned bloodbath. Less than 24 hours before Swift was to take the stage, cops swooped in on Aliyi’s family home. Cops discovered that Aliyi had sworn fealty to the death cult’s leader one month prior.
Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour on Friday, June 21, 2024 in London.
Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour on Friday, June 21, 2024 in London. Photo by Scott A Garfitt /Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP
Investigators discovered a stockpile of machetes, bomb-making materials and about C$34,000 in counterfeit cash. According to reports, the explosives were the same that were used in the 2005 London bombings and the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 at an Ariana Grande concert.
Prosecutors said that the would-be terrorist also connected with a 16-year-old in Germany named as Mohammed A. His German pal translated bomb-making guides from Arabic.
Pan-European attack plots
The twosome reportedly had grandiose ambitions to unleash terrorist attacks across Europe. The Teutonic teen was given an 18-month suspended sentence and is expected to testify.
Another defendant named in the press as Arda K. is reportedly facing charges for the previous global plot. A third alleged conspirator allegedly stabbed a guard at the Grand Mosque in Mecca during Ramadan.
Because of the Taylor Swift concert threats, the performances were cancelled and other European concerts saw increased security.
“The news has been kind of a shock for the whole team, as everyone was looking forward to those concerts in Austria as they are in the last part of the Eras Tour in Europe,” a Swift source told the U.K. Sun.
“There was a huge excitement to play in such a historical city, but also a big disappointment to have to cancel those shows.”
The source added: “Everyone was shaken and gutted.”
Taylor Swift fans sing together on Stephansplatz on August 08, 2024 in Vienna, Austria.
Taylor Swift fans sing together on Stephansplatz on August 8, 2024 in Vienna, Austria. Photo by Thomas Kronsteiner /Getty Images Europe
On Tuesday, Aliyi’s lawyer Anna Mair said her client pleaded guilty only to the charges related to the concert plot. He acted alone.
“Of course, he deeply regrets it all,” Mair said outside the court. “It is also due to the long period of detention that he says it was the biggest mistake of his life.”
Austrian media reported that he also pleaded guilty to being a member of a terrorist organization.
The court proceedings are expected to stretch into May.
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
A SUSPECTED terrorist has pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on a Taylor Swift concert – at which he reportedly planned to detonate explosives hidden in a Red Bull can. Beran Aliyi, 21, ent…
the-sun.com
The explosives were stashed in a can of Red Bull with carnage planned for a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. Find out the details on his plea
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