Welcome to Taylor Town... Liverpool to be transformed for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour
The self-proclaimed birthplace of music will transform itself into Taylor Town to honour the icon of pop - as Swifties descend on the city.
Taylor Swift fans far and wide will be able to celebrate the musician with a series of art installations inspired by some of her most iconic musical moments.
The trail, made up of 11 pieces, each represent a different era of Swift's career and will be in place around Liverpool from 8 June.
Among the items on show will be a moss-covered piano to represent the Evermore era, a red room for her Red era, and giant hearts for the Lover era.
More than 150,000 Swifties will descend on Liverpool for her three sold-out shows at Anfield between 13 and 15 June.
The University of Liverpool is also getting involved with a free Tay Day where academics, students, and fans are invited to unpack the cultural phenomenon of Taylor Swift.
Organised by the university’s Institute of Popular Music, Tay Day will take place on June 12 and see academics from across Europe speaking on topics such as Swift’s place in feminism.
The day will culminate in a session of “Critical Karaoke” – where researchers will perform one-song essays to their chosen Swift track.
The announcement comes just a year after the city hosted the 2023 Eurovision song contest.
Around 473,000 people attended Eurovision events in the city, while 50,000 people and 367 organisations engaged with education and community programmes which ran alongside the contest.
It also boosted Liverpool's economy by nearly £55 million, according to the research.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Health and wellbeing, said the aim was to give visitors an experience "they won't get in any other location".
“If there was ever going to be a city that would go all-out with a welcome for Taylor Swift and the Swifties it was bound to be Liverpool!" he said.
“We’re a city well-versed in welcoming visitors from across the globe – Eurovision being a prime example – and we wanted to use the unrivalled creative talent in this City to develop a unique trail which will attract people to the city centre, give them an experience they won’t get in any other location, and as a result encourage them to spend time making the most of our hospitality and leisure offer."
The pieces will be found across the city in locations such as Liverpool ONE, the Royal Albert Dock, and the Metquarter between Saturday 8 and Sunday 16 June.
Some of the announced installations will include:
A moss-covered grand piano to represent the evermore era
A 'red room' to represent the Red era
Giant hearts representing the Lover era
A mural inspired by the number 13 and the Fearless era
Alongside this, a series of ticketed craft workshops - called Liverpool Loves Taylor (Craft Version) - will also take place at the Metquarter, where fans can get creative with origami which will eventually form part of one of the installations.
Swif-tee Transformation will give fans the chance to upcycle denim, make collages and decorate cupcakes - all inspired by Taylor Swift.
A Liverpool Loves Taylor banner has also been installed on the façade of St George’s Hall as an additional welcome to fans.
Make CIC's Co-founder Kirsten Little said: “This collaboration, which involves working closely with 12 talented local makers, is a testament to the vibrant artistic talent thriving within our city.
"By showcasing the work of these artists through engaging installations, we're not only making art more accessible, but also actively contributing to the local economy, and highlighting Liverpool as a hub of creativity and innovation."
A Liverpool Loves Taylor information stand will be on hand at Liverpool Lime Street Station to help fans get to the various events and the performance itself.
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