On Tuesday, Taylor Swift’s final European performance of her Eras tour at Wembley Stadium featured a surprise appearance by Florence Welch. The British indie rock artist joined Swift to perform ‘Florida!!!’ live for the first time. Swift also introduced ‘So Long, London,’ a ballad many fans believe reflects the end of her relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn, during the acoustic segment of the show.
Both songs are part of Swift’s eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, released earlier this year.
Welch, from Florence + the Machine, co-wrote and contributed vocals to ‘Florida!!!’. The London show was the last chance for European fans to see Swift’s highly acclaimed tour, which has drawn fans from all over.
Swift’s return to Wembley Stadium followed the cancellation of her Vienna shows due to a thwarted attack plot. Many of the 195,000 fans who missed out in Vienna scrambled to secure tickets for the London dates, with resale prices soaring up to ten times their original value.
The Eras tour, which has become the first to exceed $1 billion in revenue, features dedicated sections for each of Swift’s 11 studio albums. The show and its staging have been highly praised by critics.
Fans arriving at Wembley, adorned in sequins, cowboy hats, and covered in friendship bracelets, faced rigorous security measures. Although British police have stated there was no indication that the Vienna events would affect the Wembley shows, heightened security was visible.
Authorities have banned Tay-gating, the practice of gathering outside the venue without tickets, in an effort to manage risks.
Marie Wright, 48, from Limerick, Ireland, purchased resale tickets on Monday evening and flew to London with her daughter’s best friend, Aoife McCarthy, 15. Wright’s daughter had already attended the Dublin show.
“We had to come for the last night since she’s leaving Europe,” McCarthy said.
Wright added, “Her songs have real meaning and there’s a poetry to them.”
The tour will continue in the United States in October and conclude in Vancouver, Canada, in December.
