Taylor Swift fans from across the globe arrive in Liverpool ahead of Eras Tour
Taylor Swift fans have travelled from all corners of the world to Liverpool as the city transforms into Taylor Town ahead of a run of gigs.
The star will perform to sell-out crowds at Anfield Stadium on Thursday 13, Friday 14 and Saturday 15 June.
Taylor's “magic” has come to Merseyside early with the Taylor Town Trail, a series of 11 artworks representing her albums which have been on display since Saturday 8 June.
Some Swifties have travelled from as far as New Zealand and the United States for the Eras Tour concert with many fans posing for pictures with the installations on Wednesday 12 June.
Hannah Horst, had travelled to Liverpool from Wisconsin in America with Angela Jacoby, Sam Kappel, all 25, and Hannah May, 23, after they struggled to get tickets for her US gigs.
She said: “The city embraces it. We love that, we think that’s so great.”
Hannah's friends, who said they expected to be “sobbing” during Taylor's concert, described her as a “welcoming space” and said they were “loving every minute” of their trip to Liverpool.
Taylor Swift fans have been buying merchandise before the concerts.
Emily Yorke, 20, from Halifax in West Yorkshire, said she was due to go to two of the Anfield concerts after attending a show in Edinburgh last week, but had travelled a day early to meet fellow fans on the Taylor Trail.
She said: “I’m going to Cardiff next week and then London and then Amsterdam, Milan and Zurich as well. She’s changed my life completely.”
Lauren O’Leary, 37, had come back to her hometown of Liverpool from New Zealand to see Swift.
She said: “It’s amazing that she’s coming here. It’s such a good vibe. It’s just going to be a brilliant atmosphere.”
Her niece Ellie Dohthwaite, 18, who will be at the concert with her, added: “I’ve literally cried every morning, I’m so excited.”
The University of Liverpool put on Tay Day, a whole day of study of the global megastar.
Dr Sam Murray and Dr Amy Skjerseth from the Institute of Music who are organising Tay Day said: “We’re delighted to be hosting an event to bring together academics, students and fans to debate and deconstruct the work of one of the world’s biggest musical sensations on the eve of her performances in Liverpool.
“The musical, social and economic impact of Taylor Swift is undeniable and that’s why we’re really looking forward to starting a conversation about how Taylor is both Miss Americana and an anti-hero, to understand her style and her wildest dreams and to discuss her reputation.
Director of Culture Liverpool Claire McColgan said the reaction from fans so far had been “off the scale”.
She said: “Liverpool is no longer Liverpool for this whole week, Liverpool is Taylor Town.
“It’s just been brilliant and people are so polite because there are 11 (art installations), you have to queue, you have to wait.
“The queues are just chatting amongst themselves and then people are just having real moments of coming together with people they don’t know.
“It’s just been beautiful, it’s been an incredible atmosphere across the whole city.
“We wanted people to come, if they haven’t got tickets but they want a bit of Taylor magic, they can come to Liverpool before the show and just feel it. That’s exactly what people are doing.”
Ms McColgan, who was behind the city’s Eurovision celebrations last year, said that as well as an economic boost, the concerts reinforced Liverpool’s international reputation.
The city was chosen to host the competition in May 2023 after last year's winner Ukraine was unable to hold it due to the Russian invasion.
She added: “The world can be a very dark place and in Liverpool, it’s light.
“When those fans come in, those young women who are just loving Taylor, they’ll bring an energy to the place that will just make it really sing and I think that’s what great art does and that’s what great events do.”
Iain Finlayson from Liverpool One says fans going to the Taylor Swift concerts at Anfield could spend millions of pounds in the city.
Merseyside Police is continuing to warn fans without tickets not to travel to Anfield for the shows, which will see crowds of around 53,000 for the three nights Taylor's performing.
Chief Superintendent Zoe Thornton said: “We are anticipating high volumes of people travelling to the city each day and I must ask for the safety of everyone that only those who have a concert ticket should travel to the stadium.
“We have a robust policing operation in place including the deployment of Project Servator officers, who are specially trained to spot the tell-tale signs that someone may have criminal intent, such as gathering information that may help them plan or prepare to commit a crime.”