A man has been charged with terrorism-related offences over a plot to carry out an attack at a Taylor Swift concert in 2024.
The now 21-year-old has been charged by Austrian prosecutors following his arrest shortly before the singer’s first Eras tour date in Vienna was due to take place.
Swift cancelled her three-night run in the city less than 24 hours before it was set to begin in August 2024.
The suspect is accused of planning to carry out an Islamist militant attack, and the Vienna prosecutors’ office plans to bring a criminal case against him in Wiener Neustadt, a town near the Austrian capital.
The man allegedly produced a small amount of the explosive triacetone triperoxide and attempted to purchase weapons illegally, a statement released on Monday said.
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The statement referred to the suspect’s arrest in August 2024, in the same month Swift’s three Eras tour dates in Vienna were cancelled at short notice after Austrian authorities said they had foiled an attack.
It added that he was a member of Islamic State and is accused of carrying out online research into a type of shrapnel bomb used by the group, and of spreading Islamic State “propaganda material” online.
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The suspect’s lawyer was not immediately available for comment, but has previously disputed accusations made against his client.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
