Taylor Swift’s groundbreaking Eras Tour made a spectacular comeback in London on Thursday night, with Ed Sheeran joining her on stage at Wembley Stadium. Sheeran participated in the acoustic segment, performing their collaborations “Everything Has Changed” and “Endgame,” followed by a rendition of his own hit “Thinking Out Loud.” Swift hinted at Sheeran’s appearance, causing an enthusiastic reaction from a crowd that had already been lively throughout the show.
Sheeran’s performance was a standout moment in Swift’s meticulously crafted stage show and musical celebration of her career.
The tour also comes amidst recent tragedies, including the death of three young fans in Southport, northern England, who were killed by an attacker at their Swift-themed dance class. Additionally, a thwarted attack plan against her concert venue in Austria led to the arrest of three extremists inspired by Islamic State.
The Vienna concerts in August were canceled due to these security concerns, making the Wembley concert the first return of the Eras Tour to the stage. Swift did not address these events during the show, instead starting with a cheerful “Oh hi London,” and admitted to experiencing a “love system overload” when greeting the crowd.
She expressed gratitude to the 92,000 attendees for their presence, which required heightened security measures.
With four more dates scheduled at Wembley Stadium, Swift is set to achieve a record-breaking solo residency at the venue and complete the European leg of The Eras Tour. The tour will resume in Toronto in November.
The immense fan enthusiasm and a set list featuring over 40 songs from various stages of her career have contributed to the Eras Tour becoming the highest-grossing tour of all time. According to Pollstar, the tour generated over $1 billion in ticket sales last year and is projected to exceed $2 billion before concluding in Indianapolis later this year.