By C. J. De Mel, Jadetimes News
Taylor Swift revved up a sold-out crowd of 92,000 at Wembley Stadium in London Thursday as she kicked off the final stretch of the European leg for her Eras Tour. Billed by the long-time friend and collaborator Ed Sheeran, who took the stage to perform their hits "Everything Has Changed" and "End Game," met the audience erupting into cheer after cheer. Swift thanked Sheeran for coming off his tour to join her on stage.
This was Swift's first time back on stage since her concerts in Vienna were canceled last week as a precaution after a foiled terror threat. It also marked her first performance in the UK since the tragic attack in Southport last month that saw three children killed during a Swift-themed dance class. Swift reportedly reached out privately to the families involved but did not allude to it during her Wembley performance.
The concert stuck largely to that same high-energy, tightly choreographed formula that has defined the Eras Tour to date. But Sheeran's surprise appearance during the acoustic segment was arguably the biggest reaction of the night. Following their 2012 hit "Everything Has Changed," the pair launched into their 2017 collaboration "End Game," before treating fans to a bonus duet of Sheeran's 2014 smash "Thinking Out Loud."
Swift's banter with the crowd stayed tightly scripted for most of the evening, although she did briefly get philosophical about the overwhelming size of the crowd and how much she was going to miss playing to this size. As it has in each of the other shows so far on this tour, the acoustic segment gave a glimpse into her mindset these days. Thursday's choices were not revealing at all: "King of My Heart" from Reputation and "The Alchemy" from her latest album The Tortured Poets Department.
Security will be hiked for the Wembley shows, with non-ticket holders forbidden from even standing outside the venue - known as "Tay-gating." Reminders have also been issued regarding strict bag policies in place, befitting the heightened safety measures. The Wembley run, continued by performance on Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, will see Swift equal a venue record set by Take That in 2011.
It's a real master class in how entertainment should come off—from a setlist going down the line of ten studio albums with 46 songs to 16 costume changes, all strung into a show well surpassing three hours in length. Kicking off its global trek in Glendale, Arizona, in March 2023, the Eras Tour has already traversed much of the globe: North and South America, Asia, and Europe. Then, after the UK and Ireland shows, Swift will return to North America to wrap up the tour in late 2024.
