Taylor Swift finally launched the UK leg of her "Eras" tour in Edinburgh last night (June 7), and it was nothing short of historic. The first of three consecutive shows at Murrayfield Stadium saw fans queuing for days in anticipation. The day before, dedicated Swifties waiting for merch were warned they could be in line for over an hour—a small price to pay for a piece of Taylor magic.
During the show, which marked her return to Scotland since 2015, Taylor shared that she was told this was the most highly-attended stadium concert in Scottish history. She also hinted that Scotland had unconsciously inspired her lockdown albums "folklore" and "evermore". “This foresty, mossy, beautiful, natural world which I now realize is probably just based on videos I’ve seen online of Scotland,” she mused.
The night featured a whopping 45-song setlist, staying true to the pattern of previous "Eras" shows, but with a few new tracks from her latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department".
In the surprise song segment, Swift treated fans to "Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve" from "Midnights", blending it seamlessly with "I Know Places" from "1989". She then moved to the piano for a mash-up of "tis the damn season" and "Daylight" from "Evermore" and "Lover". Notably, ’tis the damn season’ is one of the rare songs to be performed as a surprise after being cut from the main setlist.
During this mash-up, Taylor paused the performance to ensure a fan in need received help, strumming along while saying, “I’m just going to keep playing until somebody helps them. We’re not going to keep singing, we’re just going to keep talking about the people they’re helping in front of me.”
The night had its share of unexpected moments. Swift experienced a hand cramp mid-song, turning it into a charming moment of vulnerability. “My hand is frozen in a weird cramp,” she explained, “This has never happened before. I’m really sorry. I’m going to do some warming up of it. This is really embarrassing. It’s like forming a claw.”
Another highlight was when Taylor spotted a couple getting engaged right in front of her. “I love performing this entire show in the sunlight because I’m pretty sure I just saw somebody get engaged over here,” she said, pointing out the newly betrothed couple. “Did it happen? Yes! You have no idea, I never get to see that because it’s dark usually. But it’s not right now, so congratulations! I just saw that whole thing. Man, that’s amazing. Thanks for doing that at my concert! That’s a big moment.”
After wrapping up in Edinburgh, Swift is set to perform three shows in Liverpool from June 13-15, one night in Cardiff on June 18, and three nights at London’s Wembley Stadium from June 18-22. She’ll then head to Dublin on June 28 before taking the tour across Europe.
In other news, The 1975’s Matty Healy was reportedly “blindsided” by how much of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ was inspired by their relationship, but found it “hilarious” since they were “never serious.”
So, Swifties, get ready! The "Eras" tour is proving to be an unforgettable experience filled with surprises, emotional moments, and of course, plenty of Taylor’s enchanting music.
Photo: Joel Carrett / Imago
