Taylor Swift became the first solo artist to perform at Wembley Stadium in London eight times in a single tour, surpassing the previous record reportedly held by Michael Jackson. “You just made me the first solo artist to ever play Wembley eight times in a single tour,” Swift said on Aug. 20, during her last 2024 performance at the iconic U.K. venue, per the BBC. “We will never, ever be able to thank you enough for it.” The 34-year-old singer performed three nights at Wembley in June, before returning to the venue for another five nights in August, marking the end of the European leg of the Eras Tour.
In a recent post by the billionaire singer/songwriter, she wrote an emotional speech as she wrapped up the European leg of The Eras Tour. She also addresses the Vienna show that was cancelled due to some terrorist threats. She wrote “In summation, We have officially wrapped the European leg of The Eras Tour. With it came the most passionate crowds I’ve ever played for, new traditions in the show, and an entirely new era added in”.
It was a more hectic pace than we’d done before, and I’m so proud of my crew/fellow performers for being able to physically perform that show and build our massive stage, take it apart, and make magic with so few days in between for recovery and travel. They’re the most impressive people I know and I’m so lucky they gave The Eras Tour their time, their energy, and their expertise”.
“Walking onstage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions. Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives. I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together”.
“I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us. Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows”.
In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that. And then London felt like a beautiful dream sequence. All five crowds at Wembley Stadium were bursting with passion, joy, and exuberance. The energy in that stadium was like the most giant bear hug from 92,000 people each night, and it brought me back to a place of carefree calm up there.
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Swift’s tour has broken other records since it began in March 2023. Earlier this summer, in June, excited crowds caused seismic activity at the singer’s show in Edinburgh, Scotland. That same month, her performances in Wembley also smashed the record for the most mobile data used during a standalone concert. 5.57 TB of data was reportedly used—the equivalent of listening to Swift’s entire catalog back to back for ten years straight, according to mobile service provider EE.
But the tour hasn’t been without its difficulties. In early August, a foiled terrorist plot in Vienna forced all three shows in the Austrian capital to be canceled.
Some fans worried the London shows could be canceled, as well. However, the police confirmed the shows would be going ahead. “There is nothing to indicate that the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have an impact on upcoming events here in London,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police in London told TIME earlier this month.
“The Met works closely with venue security teams and other partners to ensure there are appropriate security and policing plans in place.” Swift’s final Eras Tour stint at Wembley included appearances from her longtime producer and collaborator Jack Antonoff, along with Ed Sheeran and Florence Welch—both of whom she has previously duetted with.
