LONDON — Welcome to the live blog covering the Eras Tour in London!

Taylor Swift is set to take the stage for the last performance of the European segment of the Eras Tour, following a suspected terror threat that was addressed in Vienna. Security is heightened at Wembley Stadium. Fans with floor access are prohibited from camping overnight to gain closer access to the stage, and those without tickets are no longer permitted to “Taylor-gate” outside the venue.

As the designated Taylor Swift reporter for YSL News Network, I will keep you updated throughout the events inside Wembley Stadium. Since I began this role in November, I’ve witnessed the performance 69 times, either live or through less-than-perfect livestreams (totaling around 230 hours or nine and a half days). Stay tuned for thrilling updates as we explore 18 years of her music!

As Confetti Falls

And that concludes Thursday night at Wembley. Swift has four additional shows in London. “The Alchemy” theme is sending fans out as the cleanup begins, with many attendees rushing to collect the vibrant confetti symbolizing Swift’s various music eras.

The cast and crew credits are displayed on the main screen.

During the first year, the backdrop music was “You’re On Your Own Kid” from “Midnights.”

Will Swift make any announcements before her two-month hiatus and journey back to North America?

We will be sharing the highlights in the coming days.

Karma is the guy on the screen

We are nearing the final song of the evening.

During “Anti-Hero,” Swift donned a sparkling sky-blue T-shirt, slipped into a dark blue one-piece for “Midnight Rain,” and is now sporting a magenta fur coat as she concludes her first night at Wembley.

She has performed “Karma (Travis’ Version)” 13 times during the shows her boyfriend has attended, replacing “Karma is the guy on the screen” with “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs.” Although she will sing the former tonight, expect the crowd to enthusiastically scream the latter.

Ed Sheeran Joins the Eras Tour Stage

Swift welcomed Ed Sheeran as a special guest for a medley of their songs “Everything Has Changed” and “End Game,” accompanied by acoustic guitar. Sheeran featured in the original recordings of these tracks included in “Red (Taylor’s Version)” and “Reputation.”

For this surprise performance, a special treat was hidden in her sleeveless blue dress. She began strumming her guitar and singing “Everything Has Changed” from “Red (Taylor’s Version).”

The audience collectively gasped, and some Swifties murmured, “Is Ed here?”

This song is a duet between Swift and her close friend Ed Sheeran.

“I just feel like something’s missing,” Swift said, and the energy in the stadium soared. “Good thing Ed Sheeran is here.”

He appeared on the central platform.

After some harmonization, the duo transitioned into “End Game,” another collaboration from Swift’s sixth album “Reputation.” They concluded with Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.”

The audience passionately sang along.

As they both finished strumming their guitars, they shared a moment together.

A warm embrace enveloped the crowd as they raised their guitars high. Swift leaned down to kiss the top of Ed Sheeran’s head and playfully tousled his red hair.

“This is my best friend, he’s like a second brother to me,” Swift shared, acknowledging that Sheeran is currently on tour and likely feeling weary. She encouraged the audience to make some noise, and the resulting sound was so loud it seemed it could break through the sound barrier.

The excitement that erupted in the stadium when Ed Sheeran appeared as a surprise guest was unimaginable, yet Swift wowed the audience with a beautiful piano mashup of “King of My Heart” from her album “Reputation” and “The Alchemy” from “The Tortured Poets Department.” The watches sparkled with vivid green lights. Where’s the trophy for this incredible surprise on Wembley’s opening night?

Here comes the ‘Tayoomba’

She started off calm and composed, but soon Swift hopped onto the Roomba-like device, allowing her to hit high notes while moving around with her dancers.

During her recent performances in Germany and Warsaw, Swift had added a shrill note after the penultimate line, “So who’s afraid of little old me?” and repeated this in London.

A thrilling visual that always excites fans is the final shot on the back screen where Swift appears as a glowing, eerily expressionless figure, tilting her head to the side. In her behind-the-scenes video with Post Malone for “Fortnight,” she remarked, “Nothing says crazy like a slight head tilt.”

Wembley chants ‘LON-DON’ during ‘Blank Space’

When Swift sang “Blank Space,” a well-known track and a favorite of Travis Kelce, the crowd joined in energetically. During the bridge, stadiums shout their city names while Swift sings, “Boys only want love if it’s torture.” This fun tradition began during her tour in Sydney, Australia, due to the filming of the 1989 World Tour movie back in 2015. While performing, Swift picked up a metal golf club and struck a pole on stage: boom, boom. She paused and tried again: boom, boom. This time she sang “Syd-ney.” You can read more about the chant here.

Wait for the signal and I’ll meet you after dawn

As thunder echoed through the stadium, Swift made her way to the back of the stage, where her dancers awaited her, draped in green cloaks. Holding illuminated orbs, they performed the “Willow” chant. Fans illuminated the space by blowing up balloons and using the light from their cell phones to make them shine.

The Wembley Stadium had restricted balloons, but several hundred fans managed to bring orbs anyway.

Three fans in Amsterdam initiated the “Willow” trend. You can read their story here.

Wembley shows Swift a 3-minute standing ovation

After removing her inner ear monitors following “Champagne Problems,” the crowd erupted in cheers. She beamed and placed her hands over her heart.

“If any of us — me, the dancers, or the band — experience a tough day again, we’ll replay that memory in our minds,” she told the audience.

Swift’s heartfelt moment during the ‘Folkmore’ era

Following her performance of “Cardigan,” Swift addressed the fans.

“I need to be honest with you guys now that I’ve collected myself a bit,” she said. “When I first saw this crowd as I stepped out from backstage, my mind went entirely blank.”

She described the overwhelming experience as a “love system overload.”

“I can’t believe that 92,000 people are showering us with such love and generosity,” she remarked. “It’s truly amazing what you all do for us. We are going to miss it dearly when we no longer get to do this. These emotions are something I didn’t expect when talking to 92,000 people.”

Eras Tour outfits

On Thursday, Swift showcased the following outfits:

• Her colorful blue and pink “Lover” bodysuit
• Her sleek silver blazer for “The Man”
• Her elegant black and silver “Fearless” dress
• Her casual “A lot going on at the moment” T-shirt for “Red”
• Her whimsical purple cupcake dress for “Speak Now”
• Her iconic “Reputation” bodysuit
• Her chic green dress for “Folkmore”
• Her stylish green and pink top paired with a skirt for “1989”
• Her striking gown that declares “Who’s afraid of little old me? You should be” for “The Tortured Poets Department”
• The sophisticated black two-piece with a gold jacket for “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart”
• Her captivating blue dress for the acoustic section
• Her relaxed sky-blue T-shirt for “Anti-Hero”
• Her eye-catching chevron bodysuit for “Midnight Rain”
• Swift concluded the show in her glamorous magenta fur coat

If you have 10 minutes to spare

After “I Knew You Were Trouble,” Swift’s dancers exited the stage as she slung her guitar over her shoulder and approached center stage solo. The Eras Tour guitar hung in anticipation of Swift’s moving ballad from the “Red” era.

If it weren’t for the re-recording of her fourth era, fans might not have ever experienced “All Too Well (10-Minute Version).” Swift mentioned in an interview that the original track had been shortened to five minutes. Fans encouraged her to release the extended version, which she did as a bonus track on “Red (Taylor’s Version).” The song quickly climbed the charts, dethroning “American Pie” by Don McLean as the longest-running No. 1 hit in Billboard’s Hot 100 chart history.

“We were lucky to perform at Wembley stadium back in June; were any of you there?” she asked Thursday, receiving a loud cheer in response. “Thanks for coming back, everyone.” She inquired if there were any newcomers, prompting an even louder roar from the audience.

Swift has performed the 10 minute and 13 second track a total of 127 times. That amounts to 1,298 minutes or 22 hours of performance time. At the end, white confetti falls to the stage to mimic the snow referenced in this emotional anthem.

What did Kam say?

A beloved moment for online viewers is to see what dancer Kameron Saunders will say during the bridge of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”

During her 53 shows in America, he responded with “Like Ever” when Swift said, “So he calls me up and he’s like, ‘I still love you,’ and I mean this is exhausting, like we are never getting back together.” However, for her international performances, he switched it up to match the cultural context and language of each city.

On Thursday in London, Saunders exclaimed, “Are you crazy?”

The Famous ’22’ Hat

Taylor Swift made an appearance celebrating her “Red” era in a shirt that reads “A Lot Going On at the Moment.” She has six unique shirts, including: “We are never getting back together like ever,” “Who’s Taylor Swift anyway? Ew,” “This is not Taylor’s Version,” “I bet you think about me” and “I knew U were trouble.”

In contrast to her previous tours, there are no opportunities for meet-and-greets or private fan areas, making the only chance for an ordinary fan to connect with the superstar through being selected as the recipient of the “22” hat. This selection is done by Swift’s team just before the concert starts, typically with the chosen individual invited to the VIP area. At the end of the “Fearless” section, that lucky fan is escorted down the catwalk.

Swift signs the brim of the stylish black fedora, crafted by milliner Gladys Tamez.

“I’ve felt so incredibly humble and grateful to be part of this,” said Tamez in April. “Having worked with her team for so long, it was such an exciting moment for me.”

Tonight, Swift picked the 127th member to join the illustrious “22” fedora club.

Idris Elba at the Eras Tour

Actor Idris Elba was in attendance at Thursday’s concert — fitting, given that he famously introduced the song “London Boy” on the “Lover” album. Before the beat drops, he remarks, “We can go drivin’ in, on my scooter / Uh, you know, just ’round London.”

During Swift’s June residency at Wembley Stadium, numerous celebrities showed up, including Prince William and two of his children, Sir Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi, Hugh Grant, Cate Blanchett, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce, and Swift’s parents, Scott and Andrea.

The Final European Shows of the Eras Tour

“It’s an absolute honor and such a thrill to welcome you: London, welcome to the Eras Tour!” Swift announced to the crowd at Wembley Stadium. “I stand before you knowing I’m about to kick off the first show of the final European stop of the Eras Tour, and seeing all 92,000 of you welcoming us with your voices — thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Swift expressed gratitude to her supporting acts, beginning with Sofia Isella.

“It’s surreal that this journey is nearing its end,” Swift commented on touring Europe alongside her opening act, Paramore.

The Show Kicks Off

Hello! Taylor Swift stepped back onto the stage for her “Lover segment.” This was her first performance since her team canceled three shows in Vienna due to an interrupted terrorist plot. Dressed in a shimmering blue and pink bodysuit, she dazzled on stage.

The 34-year-old has five different styles of “Lover” bodysuits: tangerine, gold and blue, purple, pink, and a blue and pink combination.

“Well, what a surprise to find you here at Wembley Stadium,” she said, acknowledging the restricted view area and scanning the crowd. The audience erupted with cheers. “That was incredible. You guys have made me feel really, really powerful,” she commented as she donned a silver jacket before launching into “The Man.”

The Eras Tour Overture Begins

The backdrop screen transitioned to reveal a countdown clock starting from 2:24, as Leslie Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” echoed throughout Wembley Stadium.

When the tour kicked off in March 2023, fans were taken by surprise when Swift began with “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince,” but it makes sense given the lyrics, “it’s been a long time coming” and “it’s you and me, that’s my whole world.” Due to the pandemic, Swift had to cancel her Loverfest show in 2021 and hadn’t toured since 2018’s Reputation Stadium Tour.

After her first stadium concert series and leading up to the Eras Tour, she unveiled four new eras: “Lover,” “Folklore,” “Evermore,” and “Midnights.” The Eras Tour uniquely combines her 10 eras into a three-plus-hour spectacle.

When Swift released “The Tortured Poets Department” in April under the radar, she and her dancers flew to Paris a week early to rehearse an updated performance. Fans went wild upon witnessing the new rendition on May 9.

If you’re keeping track, here’s the sequence of eras featured in the overture:

• “It’s fearless”
• “Big reputation”
• “And they said ’Speak Now’”
• “Into folklore”
• “My name is Taylor, and I was born in 1989”
• “Straight from the tortured poets department”
• “Evermore”
• “Cause loving him was red”
• “Meet me at midnight”
• “Lover”

Standby: We’re ‘In Ha Mood’

The Ice Spice beat dropped, signaling to Swifties to rush back from the restrooms or food stalls, as the beginning of “In Ha Mood” indicates Taylor Swift will appear shortly.

The dancers and band members will make their way to the stage while Taylor Swift is concealed within a “cleaning cart” being wheeled up the ramp by production staff. The cart stops just before a staircase leading to the main stage.

Next, “Applause” by Lady Gaga will ring out. As the song blasts through the excited crowd, dancers will don pink and ombre parachute flaps and position themselves behind the main stage entrance.

Taylor Swift’s Massive Setlist of 46 Songs

The audience eagerly anticipated the show’s beginning as the “Bejeweled” behind-the-scenes video played, signaling that Swift was ready to embark on a three-plus-hour performance, era by era. Here’s her 46-song setlist:

• Lover: “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince,” “Cruel Summer,” “The Man,” “You Need to Calm Down” and “Lover”
• Fearless: “Fearless,” “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story”
• Red: “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “All Too Well (10-Minute Version)”
• Speak Now: “Enchanted”
• Reputation: “Ready For It?” “Delicate,” “Don’t Blame Me” and “Look What You Made Me Do”
• Folklore and Evermore: “Cardigan,” “Betty,” “Champagne Problems,” “August,” “Illicit Affairs,” “My Tears Ricochet,” “Marjorie” and “Willow”
• 1989: “Style,” “Blank Space,” “Shake it Off,” “Wildest Dreams” and “Bad Blood”
• The Tortured Poets Department: “But Daddy I Love Him,” “So High School,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me,” “Down Bad,” “Fortnight,” “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart”
• Acoustic guitar medley and acoustic piano medley
• Midnights: “Lavender Haze,” “Anti-Hero,” “Midnight Rain,” “Vigilante
• “S—,” “Bejeweled,” “Mastermind” and “Karma”

Paramore’s Set List

“Oh yes, London! It’s amazing to be back with you,” exclaimed Hayley Williams into the microphone. “We’ve truly missed you. We can’t get enough of London, ever!” “It’s an honor to be here. We never imagined we would perform at Wembley Stadium, so thank you for making it happen.” Their performance included:

• “Hard Times” with a mashup of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”
• “Burning Down the House”
• “Still Into You”
• “Forgiveness”
• “Caught in the Middle”
• “The Only Exception”
• “Misery Business”
• “Ain’t It Fun”
• “This Is Why”

The electrifying opening act lit up Wembley as Williams lay in the center spotlight, powerfully finishing “Ain’t It Fun.” The weather in London was cloudy, with the open-arena temperature hovering at 73 degrees. The floor area was bustling with eager fans and the rest of the stadium filled to 60%. Swift was set to take the stage in around 30 minutes.

Isn’t It Fun That Paramore Is Here?

Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro have been the opening act for Taylor Swift during the European leg of the Eras Tour. The band has dazzled audiences for 43 shows across Europe and will conclude their segment on Tuesday, returning to Nashville, Tennessee, their home base.

Before heading to Paris in May, Paramore was named the Global Ambassadors for Record Store Day, a title previously held by Swift in 2022. They surprised fans at Grimey’s Record Store in Nashville.

The final opening act for the remaining North American shows will be Gracie Abrams.

Will Travis Kelce Be Back for the Eras Tour?

It seems unlikely that Swift’s boyfriend will attend the shows in England. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has a final training camp practice on Thursday before his team’s preseason home game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday. However, Swift might make it to the next preseason game on Aug. 22, when the Chiefs face off against the Chicago Bears.

Who could forget how Travis Kelce created a buzz the last time Swift performed at Wembley by coming on stage to carry her after she theatrically fell during a performance of “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”? He tried to help her back on her feet along with backup dancers Jan Ravnik and Kameron Saunders, allowing her to perform “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”

Sofia Isella’s Set List

“This is the most incredible view I have ever seen!” said opening act Sofia Isella to the audience at Wembley Stadium.

Her performance included:

• “Hot Gum”
• “Cacao and Cocaine”
• “Everybody Supports Women”
• “Unattractive”
• “I Looked the Future in the Eyes, It’s Mine”

Isella performed six songs during her 25-minute set.

Sofia Isella Takes the Stage

<p, similar to her June performances where three artists opened for Paramore, Swift has chosen five artists to perform at Wembley Stadium. The first was Sofia Isella, a talented 19-year-old violinist, songwriter, producer, and singer. Originally from Beverly Hills, California, she now resides in Australia.

When Swift announced the lineup on August 5, Isella expressed her excitement on Instagram: “Someone I’ve never met has changed my life even more than she already has, just through her writing alone. Your courage to keep pushing yourself and continually succeed is a joy to witness, Taylor. Thank you.”

The artists set to open for the remaining Wembley shows are:

• Friday: Holly Humberstone
• Saturday: Suki Waterhouse
• Monday: Maisie Peters
• Tuesday: Raye

Doors are Open

It’s official: Wembley Stadium has opened its doors for VIP guests, with general admission about to commence in thirty minutes. A wave of Swifties is entering the venue.

Lining Up at 4 a.m.

Amy Willow from Brighton, UK, arrived on an overnight train with her two best friends, eager to be first in line for Thursday night’s Eras Tour performance. Her early morning wake-up call led her to Wembley Stadium by 4 a.m., making her the first in line.

“I thought, ‘Oh my God, there’s going to be a huge queue!’” she shared four hours before doors opened. “It was completely empty — crickets, literal crickets. It was fantastic.”

Wembley Stadium Advises Fans Without Tickets: Don’t Come

The stadium, with a capacity of 89,000, has advised anyone without a ticket to the Eras Tour not to show up. Additional ticket checks have been implemented around the venue, and fans must provide proof of entry before accessing the general area.

Wembley Stadium’s website also announced tighter security measures: no overnight camping and no unauthorized gatherings outside the venue, where fans without tickets typically congregate to enjoy the concert atmosphere and trade friendship bracelets. Those without tickets will be asked to leave the premises.