On Thursday evening, Taylor Swift performed the final leg of her European Eras Tour at London’s Wembley Stadium, and was joined by her close friend, Ed Sheeran. The concert, attended by a sell-out crowd of 92,000 fans, featured a performance of their collaborative hits “Everything Has Changed” and “End Game.”
This show marked Swift’s first performance since last week’s cancellation of her Vienna shows due to a thwarted terror plot. It also was her first return to the UK following a tragic incident in Southport last month, where three children were killed during a Swift-themed dance class. Swift has privately reached out to the affected families but did not mention these events during the concert.
The Vienna shows were canceled after authorities disrupted a planned terrorist attack aimed at one of Swift’s concerts at the Ernst Happel Stadium. Swift, 34, has not publicly commented on Vienna but did express her shock and sadness over the deaths of the three young girls in Southport, describing it as a “complete shock” at the “loss of life and innocence.”
During the Wembley performance, Sheeran’s surprise appearance during the acoustic section delighted the audience. The set included a mash-up of their 2012 song “Everything Has Changed” and their 2017 collaboration “End Game.” Swift also joined Sheeran to perform his hit ballad “Thinking Out Loud.”
Swift praised Sheeran, saying, “This is one of my best friends in the world. He’s on tour right now and probably exhausted, but he wanted to come and play for you.”
The concert, running over three hours, adhered closely to Swift’s planned setlist, with her interactions with the crowd remaining scripted. She expressed her gratitude to the audience and reflected on the overwhelming experience of performing to such large crowds, stating she would miss these moments.
Swift’s choice of surprise songs during the tour often reflects her current emotions. Following the death of a fan in Rio de Janeiro last year, Swift did not address the incident directly but chose the song “Bigger Than the Whole Sky,” which fans interpreted as a tribute to the deceased. On Thursday, she performed “King of My Heart” from Reputation and “The Alchemy” from her latest album The Tortured Poets Department, though these selections offered little insight into her current state of mind.
In preparation for her Wembley shows, enhanced security measures were implemented. Non-ticket holders were banned from standing outside the stadium, a practice known as “Tay-gating,” and fans were reminded of the venue’s strict bag policies. Swift’s run at Wembley, which continues through Tuesday, is part of her quest to set a venue record.
Her previous three-night stint at Wembley in June will be matched by these five additional performances, equaling the record set by Take That in 2011.
Swift has already performed in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff, and Dublin as part of her UK and Ireland tour. Her setlist, spanning ten studio albums, includes 46 songs, 16 costume changes, and runs for over three hours. The tour, which began in Glendale, Arizona, in March last year, has visited Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil before heading to Japan, Australia, and Singapore this year. It will conclude later in 2024 with shows in the US and Canada.
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