Taylor Swift hit Liverpool as her second city on the UK leg of the worldwide Eras Tour this week, with the whole city embracing the iconic tour with open arms. Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium sees Swift on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of June, and the city has been dubbed ‘Taylor Town’ due to its enthusiasm.
Fans have been greeted with shops blaring Swift’s smash hits, an art tour celebrating all eleven of Taylor’s albums, and lectures and workshops in her honour. It sounds overkill, but the arty, funky city pulled it off seamlessly, creating a hub of music and art to win over anyone. Brig was lucky enough to go along and see what all the hype was about.
‘Taylor Town Trail’
The ‘Taylor Town Trail’ proved particularly popular, running from Saturday 8 June to Sunday 16 June. Brig went along in an attempt to take some photos with the art instalments, however, the queues stretched so far that we’ll have to make do with Brig-less photos. The art instalments proved to be colourful, and charming, yet subtle enough to avoid impacting or disturbing locals and non-fans.
The tour is designed to take fans around the city’s best spots – we certainly got our steps in. Here’s a rundown of what is featured and where:
Debut: 7ft high butterfly wings, placed at Liverpool’s iconic Royal Albert Dock.
Fearless: A bright, bold colourful mural graces a wall on New Bird Street to celebrate Swift’s country-pop second album.
Speak Now: Iconic lilac microphones create a thematic selfie spot at Metquarter Liverpool.
Red: Giant red lips dominate Liverpool’s Metquarter in a funky yet mildly intimidating fashion.
1989: A Polaroid effect instalment at Mann Island Atrium is one of the more popular stops along the tour, with hand-crafted seagulls against a blue sky creating an iconic backdrop.
Reputation: Liverpool One is home to a regal, serpentine throne.
Lover: Royal Albert Dock is also home to a tunnel of hearts, decorated with hearts, rainbows, and flamingoes.
Folklore: Taylor’s iconic moss-covered piano has been replicated in the Bluecoat Gardens.
Midnights: A giant purple clock fashioned with a selfie seat in Liverpool Lime Street Station engages fans with Taylor’s much loved ‘Midnights’ album.
The Tortured Poets Department: A giant black and white mural holds many easter eggs in Liverpool One.
And if that is not enough, the streets are lined with stalls selling cowboy hats, rain ponchos, feather boas, and so much more that even the greatest fan risks becoming sick of Taylor Swift…
The 100th Show: 13/06/24
On Thursday 13 June, Anfield Stadium hosted the Eras Tour’s 100th show. Speculation was flying around – would Liverpool’s own Paul Macartney appear? Perhaps Ed Sheeran? Maybe even Reputation TV would be announced. However, despite all suspicious dates and hints picked up on by fans, the 100th show was just as blow-your-socks-off good as any other, but lacking any special surprises.
Taylor acknowledged the anniversary with a genuine, moving, and heartfelt speech, warming the crowd’s hearts despite the afternoon’s relentless rain which had left many fans shivering. Was it worth mild hypothermia? Absolutely.
The crowd was made up of more than just Liverpudlians. Fans had travelled far and wide for the 3.5-hour spectacle – Irish, American, French, and Scottish made up a surprisingly large proportion of the crowd. This begs the question: should locals get first dips on tickets in their area? I found myself in Liverpool due to failing to get Edinburgh tickets. Although, a diverse crowd makes for increasingly interesting conversation, connections, and culture.
The travel was worth the surprise songs, with an I Can See You/Mine mashup, and Cornelia Street/Maroon. Any hint of Speak Now is always a win since the loss of Long Live from the setlist.
To conclude, Liverpool did a fantastic job of welcoming Taylor Swift and her fans into the city, making the experience even more encompassing and enjoyable.
Swift will play her last show in Liverpool tonight, before moving on to Cardiff, London, Dublin and beyond until the tour concludes at a grand 152 shows in December.
Featured Image Credit: Alice Pollard
Journalism student at the University of Stirling & BRAW Magazine editor 24/25 and 25/26 🙂
You can see my portfolio here: https://www.clippings.me/alicepollard
