TAYLOR SWIFT IS inching closer to Ireland on the European leg of her massively popular Eras Tour.
The American singer’s tour resumed on this side of the Atlantic in May and is now just a few cities away from the three dates she will play in Ireland later this month, when fans will see a show that has been updated and revamped since the US leg last year.
Swift is performing her first UK show of the tour in Edinburgh tonight before visiting Liverpool, Cardiff and London over the next few weeks.
She’s then scheduled to play in Dublin in the Aviva Stadium on 28, 29, and 30 June.
Many of her fans have already watched parts of the concert online through videos on social media – especially livestreams on Instagram and TikTok – and in cinemas, where The Eras Tour Concert Film released last October delivered a movie of her performance in Los Angeles.
But be warned – the show coming to Dublin and other European cities will have some tweaks from the American version.
It’s still more than three hours long with songs from across her career of more than two decades.
However, the setlist has been updated to include songs from her newest album The Tortured Poets Department, which has meant that a couple of other fan-favourites were dropped.
In the ‘surprise song’ section, where she plays two different songs at her piano and guitar each show, her European shows so far have seen her repeat some previous surprise songs and introduce several mash-ups.
Swift is joined in Europe by Paramore as her opening act, made up of Hayley Williams, Taylor York and Zac Farro.
Swift has had a loyal fanbase for years, starting with her debut album that was released in 2006.
But her stardom has rocketed in the last two to three years, driving massively high demand – and eye-wateringly high ticket prices – for her latest shows.
The singer has faced criticism for her high carbon emissions, particularly over the frequent use of her private jet.
She has also faced calls to speak out about Israel’s bombardment of Gaza from fans (and critics) who say that her significant influence could help to attract more donations for aid to Gaza and add to political pressure on Israel.
After ‘fan zones’ were set up in Dublin city for the recent UEFA final and last year’s American College Football game, the idea has been floated of a fan zone for Swifties during the concert weekend.
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe was asked about the idea on Wednesday while speaking to reporters.
He laughed at first, joking: “Under what part of the Department of Public Expenditure and NDP Delivery and Reform am I responsible for fan zones to be set up for Taylor Swift?”
Green Party junior minister Ossian Smyth, who was also speaking to media, asked his Government colleague: “What is a fan zone?”
Donohoe replied: “Oh Ossian, if we set up a Swiftie fan zone, I’ll bring you to it.”
He subsequently added: “I am sure the fan experience in Dublin will easily match any place else in the world and I’m sure plans are underway to welcome Swifties from all over the world to Dublin.”
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