A suspected Islamic State supporter accused of plotting a terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert allegedly planned to detonate a bomb hidden inside a Red Bull can, a court has heard.
Details of the Alleged Plot
Beran Aliyi, 21, is due to go on trial in Austria charged with joining a terrorist organisation, preparing explosives and attempting to procure firearms illegally. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors say the Austrian-Macedonian dual national devised a plan to massacre fans gathered outside the singer's Vienna concert in August 2024, targeting thousands as they queued to enter the stadium.
Investigators allege he intended to drive his VW Beetle into crowds using a fake police siren and flashing blue light to breach security, before detonating an explosive device concealed in a drinks can and launching a knife attack, according to German newspaper Das Bild.
Concert Cancellation and Arrest
More than 195,000 fans had bought tickets to see Swift perform across three nights at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium. However, the concerts were cancelled just one day before the opening night after armed police raided Aliyi's family home in Ternitz, following a tip-off from US intelligence.
Authorities say Aliyi had sworn allegiance to the leader of Islamic State on July 7, 2024, exactly one month before his arrest. Leaked prosecution images reportedly show a milky-looking liquid believed to be TATP being prepared inside a bottle in a family refrigerator. A radio-controlled detonation device was also allegedly found in his home.
Stockpiled Weapons and Explosives
In the weeks leading up to the planned attack, Aliyi is alleged to have stockpiled machetes, €21,000 in counterfeit cash, and components for a homemade explosive device based on triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile substance used in previous terrorist plots including the 2005 London bombings and the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.
Aliyi initially made a full confession to police, though his lawyer has since indicated he will contest aspects of the case when proceedings begin at Wiener Neustadt state court.
Alleged Co-conspirator in Germany
Further allegations suggest the suspect had been in contact with a 16-year-old in Germany, identified only as Mohammed A, who is said to have helped translate bomb-making manuals and discussed the possibility of coordinated attacks across Austria and Germany. The teenager was later handed an 18-month suspended sentence by a German court for preparing a 'state-endangering' act of violence and supporting terrorist activity abroad, and is expected to give evidence in the Austrian trial.
Change in Behaviour
Aliyi, who grew up in Ternitz after his family moved from North Macedonia, had once been seen as a 'harmless boy next door', according to neighbours. But locals claim his appearance and behaviour changed dramatically in the weeks before his arrest, after he allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS, growing a long beard and adopting more extreme views.
