With Taylor Swift’s Eras tour set to arrive in the UK this summer, fans of the pop superstar are busy preparing for the big event.
For some, it is simply a case of coordinating a sparkly outfit with their best friend to wear on the night, while others are making friendship bracelets to trade with other Swifties.
Many are travelling hundreds of miles to catch a glimpse of the singer, while some are planning to make the trip without even having a ticket for the gig itself.
‘It’s my daughter’s birthday present – she’ll find out reading this!’
It’s Veronica’s birthday present so she’ll find out by reading this article! It’s been hard keeping a secret like this – such a great role model putting on the greatest show of our age – so I expect her to cry as she reads this. We’re off to see Taylor! We had the Eras tour party which was fun, she’s getting her sparkly dress, the bracelets she’ll make on the train and I get a regular briefing on the wellness of TS’s cats. Veronica has been devastated that we don’t have tickets, little does she know …
We’re going to Lyon in France on 2 June (we can’t wait any longer), getting the Eurostar, V making Swiftie bracelets, me making my way through a bottle of wine. And both practising those all important verses.
A sunny day in Lyon with lots of culture; a museum, a castle topped off by the modern day poet extraordinaire herself, Tay Tay. This is exactly how life should be! Happy Birthday Veronica. Robert Forbes, 42, businessman from Worcester Park
‘I’m still hoping we get tickets – we’re heading to London anyway’
We didn’t manage to get tickets, but we’re going to London for the June shows and will hang out outside the stadium with the other devoted but disappointed Swifties. Since its release, we’ve been listening to The Tortured Poets Department non-stop.
We watched the livestream of the first Paris show when Taylor began the European leg of the tour. It was very exciting when she performed But Daddy I Love Him, revealing that TTPD is now on the set list. My daughter Sophie has been keeping track of all the surprise songs she’s been performing. I think it’s got to be So Long London when Taylor is at Wembley.
We have been planning our outfits. I have a red sparkly dress which will double for Red and Reputation eras (even though my favourite era is 1989). I’m not sure how well I’ll pull it off, but Sophie will look utterly delightful in her green layered mini dress and cowboy boots, which we got on Vinted today! She is going as Debut, even though it’s not featured in the tour.
I’m still secretly hoping we’ll manage to get tickets somehow. I think we would both cry. Rebecca Bartholomew, 51, hypnotherapist from Littlehampton, West Sussex
‘We’re listening to her discography on repeat to make sure we know all the songs’
It will be great to hear some of my favourite songs live and I think the overall ambience will be something special too with everyone dressed up as their favourite eras and trading friendship bracelets with each other. Plus it’s been a dream to see Taylor live, so it will be a super fulfilling experience I’m sure.
I’m really looking forward to it as it seems like a once in a lifetime experience, getting to see 10 albums (16 years of music!) live in one place. I’ve been making loads and loads of friendship bracelets in between revising! I’ll also be bejewelling my outfit, which is inspired by her dress and cape from the song Willow from the Evermore set on the tour.
I’m going with my two sisters (one older, one younger) and we’re all coming as different eras. We’re also preparing by listening to the set list and her entire discography on repeat to make sure we know all of the songs (even the surprise songs!). Hannah Coldwell, 18, student from Lancaster
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‘I have been curating a Pinterest board filled with Eras tour outfit inspiration’
My three friends and I will be travelling from Plymouth to London by train. We have a hotel booked quite far away from the stadium, so will need to navigate the tube (which could be very interesting!). We are travelling up the day of, so getting ready will be a bit of a rush but I’m confident we will be adequately bejewelled in time!
I have been curating a Pinterest board filled with Eras tour outfit inspiration for months, however I have still not decided on an outfit to wear! I am leaning towards something Folklore or Evermore themed, as they are my favourite albums.
Alongside this I have been making friendship bracelets since last year to trade with other Swifties. I am also listening to the set list on repeat so I know which songs are coming next, however Taylor has just changed it to include some of her new songs so I need to update the playlist. Kate Atkinson, 19, student from Plymouth
‘I struggle with crowds and queues so I’m thinking a lot about comfort’
I’ve got tickets for 21 June, the first night at Wembley. I’m hoping for lots of energy, surprises and just an overall amazing performance. I’m going with three girlfriends. We’ve been to a few Swiftogeddon events and had the best time so seeing the real thing is going to feel so special.
I’ve been a fan since I was probably about 15 years old. I remember listening to Fifteen as a 15-year-old thinking: “She gets me!” I have ADHD and can be so harsh on myself, Taylor’s softness and embracing her sensitivity and dorky side make me feel like it’s OK to share those parts of myself.
The thing I’m thinking about a lot is comfort – I do struggle with crowds and long queues. If I’m not comfortable then it does affect my experience. So I’m going to buy Loop headphones to minimise getting stressed about how loud it is around me.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what songs I’d be willing to miss in order to go for a loo break and grab a drink. This is a hard one; I’ve heard breaks between Eras are quite long but I know the queues will be crazy. Gabriella Taylor, 28, content producer from Bedfordshire
‘We are travelling to Lisbon to see Taylor’
We couldn’t make any of the UK dates, so we decided to try to get tickets for a city we’d like to visit in Europe. We are heading to Lisbon to see her on 24 May.
Apart from us both planning what to wear, organising a holiday around it, watching social media for updates on how the tour has changed in the European leg (RIP Long Live), listening to TTPD on repeat to learn the new songs and making bracelets in the evenings for a few weeks, we’ve not done much to prepare really. Neil Wilkinson, 43, team leader from Manchester