Swift, 34, is in Scotland to perform for 3.5 hours tonight as part of her £1 billion Eras world tour.
It is the first of three sell out stadium shows at Edinburgh’s Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, which will be seen by 220,000 fans.
The Tortured Poets Department hitmaker, who last played Scotland at Glasgow’s Hydro venue in 2015, told The Record: “Every time I perform in Scotland it honestly feels like I am coming home.”
LYON, FRANCE – JUNE 02: EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO BOOK COVERS Taylor Swift performs at Groupama Stadium on June 02, 2024 in Lyon, France. (Photo by John Shearer/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Fans have flooded Scotland’s capital for Swift’s shows which are described as “the tour of a generation”.
For each concert, she’ll perform 46 of her best loved songs from 10 albums in her 18-year career and make 16 costume changes.
One fan, Ellie Poulter, 19, got to the front of the queue 48 hours before tonight’s show.
Ellie Poulter
She said: “I think I’m the first person to start camping.
“I thought people were going to camp because people were queuing for the Paris shows for two nights.
“So I thought I was going to be camping for like a week before, but nobody else has ended up doing that so I thought two days would be fine to camp for that long.
“I’ve got a tent and I took a duvet and that’s it apart from my clothes. I have nothing and I didn’t come prepared.
“I’ve got a hotel for the night of the show, so I’ll basically chuck everything in there and get ready, so I’ve got nothing on me.”
Ellie, from Oxford, added: “I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting a year for this.
“I’m excited for the surprise songs but I’m more excited for Reputation because that’s my favourite album.
“I’ll be a mess. I was crying when I watched the movie at the cinema so I’ll probably have a panic attack when she comes out.”
The superstar’s shows are expected to give an £80 million boost to the local economy.
Taylor Swift fans buying merchandise at Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh ahead of her first 3 dates in the UK as part of her Eras tour. Angela Roders with her daughter Haleigh from the USA
Edinburgh hotels have enjoyed a spike in bookings. Bars and restaurants are offering Swiftie themed cocktails and menus to entice tourists.
The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh Robert Aldridge said: “On behalf of the city and people of Edinburgh, I’m delighted to welcome Taylor Swift to Scotland and its capital city.
“These performances are set to be some of the biggest and most spectacular the country has ever seen and are expected to inject tens of millions of pounds into our city’s economy.
“Whilst we are rightly proud to host the biggest and best events and want everyone attending to have an excellent experience, however it’s important that we’re conscious of our residents who live here year round.
“We ask that visitors are respectful and considerate of them whilst enjoying our fantastic city and everything it offers.
“We’ve published advice for our residents, businesses and visitors on our website and I’d encourage everyone to take a look.
“The concerts this weekend mark the start of an incredible summer of culture in the Capital, with our world-famous festivals just around the corner.”
Fans have been gathered outside the stadium since Wednesday morning in order to snap up tour merchandise ahead of the gigs, which will only add to the staggering tour revenue.
Among the items for sale are hoodies are priced £70, tees £40, bracelets £30 and totes £25.
US student Julia Baldwin, 21, who is in her last year at Edinburgh University and has never seen her favourite singer, spent £1,300 on tickets for all three nights at Murrayfield.
“A lot of people have been reporting having concert amnesia, where they haven’t been remembering the show after they’ve gone home.
“It’s something I wanted to remember so I figured that if I go multiple times then by night three, I’ll be a bit more mellowed and will remember things.”
By the end of the tour, Swift will have played 152 Eras shows across 54 cities worldwide, including dates in Liverpool and Cardiff as well as eight Wembley Stadium concerts, all of which sold out almost instantly.
That dwarfs everything that has gone before in terms of size and revenue for a music event.
Swift also broke a Ticketmaster record with more than 2.4 million tickets sold — the most by an artist in a single day — in the presale alone.
Outlander star Sam Heughan, 44, is one of the celebrities going to Murrayfield.
The Scottish actor, from Balmaclellan in Dumfries and Galloway, joked that he plans to woo Swift away from her Kansas City Chiefs’ American footballer boyfriend Travis Kelce.
Taking to social media, he said: “We’re gonna go see Taylor Swift play in Scotland and I think most of the cast are going.
“She obviously doesn’t know this but when she comes to Scotland and sees me in the audience, she’s gonna forget all about him.
“How could she resist? You know, she’s gonna shake him off and take me out instead. I’m really excited.”
Ticket holders who have early entry briefs will be able to access the venue through their dedicated turnstiles from 3pm.
The stadium will be open for general admission at 4pm.
Hospitality ticket holders will have dedicated turnstile lanes and can access the stadium, also from 4pm.
The show starts at 6pm with support act Paramore before the long-awaited and spectacular headliner.
Taylor will drink ginger shots and has IV drips on hand to make sure she has plenty of energy to survive the demands of the marathon gigs.
And a huge police operation is underway to ensure revellers can enjoy their time safely in the capital over the weekend.
Superintendent David Happs said: “A proportionate and comprehensive policing plan is in place ahead of the Taylor Swift concerts at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh on Friday 7, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June.
“We are liaising closely with the event organiser and a number of other stakeholders, including the promoter and the City of Edinburgh Council, to ensure the safety of the public and to minimise disruption to the people of Edinburgh.”
ScotRail has added late-night services for concert-goers.
