It was a year of preparation, but the wait was worth it.
Last night, Taylor Swift arrived in the UK to perform in front of 73,000 Swifties at the sold-out Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.
But Scottish superfans hoping for a spot near the front had to arrive early, with many queuing for hours to get in.
At the start of the British leg of her Eras tour, at exactly 7:18 p.m., the singer took the stage, but only after teasing fans with a two and a half minute countdown.
Dressed in a blue and gold sequin leotard and knee-high gold boots, she waved to the crowd, who let out deafening screams in response.
Taylor Swift, 34, opened with the song Miss Americana, followed by fan favorite Cruel Summer.
Before her song The Man, she donned a second outfit: a black and gold striped double-breasted blazer dress.
Swift performing her song The Man live at Murrayfield for the Eras Tour
Scottish superfans hoping for a spot near the front had to arrive early, with many queuing for hours to get in.
Taylor Swift fans queuing outside the stadium a day before the sold-out concert
Swift, 34, opened with the song Miss Americana, followed by fan favorite Cruel Summer.
She seemed overwhelmed by the public response, saying: “What a way to welcome a girl to Scotland… You went and made me feel so incredible… That went right to my head.”
“You make me feel very, very powerful,” she added before kissing his bicep.
Before her song The Man, she donned a second outfit: a black and gold striped double-breasted blazer dress.
In total, the singer performed about 43 songs over the course of three hours.
Swift also said she had made history, as last night’s gig at Murrayfield had the biggest attendance the country has ever seen.
She told the crowd: ‘I haven’t been to Scotland for almost a decade. And she asked me what it would be like when we visited again, what they would be like as a crowd, and you know what? You answered me even before going on stage.
“Someone took me aside and said, ‘Hey, we’ve checked this 20 times and we swear…tonight’s gig is the best-attended stadium show in Scottish history.’
In total, the singer performed about 43 songs over the course of three hours.
Swift is said to have made history, as the gig at Murrayfield attracted the largest attendance for a concert Scotland has ever seen.
Swifties raised their phones in unison as the megastar took the stage to start the three-hour show.
Tens of thousands of fans have arrived, some from as far away as Texas, Minnesota and Canada.
Number one in line and first in the stadium was Amber Small, 19, from Aberdeen, who was at the front of the VIP section.
Her private jet landed in Edinburgh yesterday afternoon before the Nashville superstar was whisked away to a waiting black BMW, traveling six miles to meet fans already singing and dancing outside Scotland’s national rugby stadium.
Where he will stay during his three-night stay in the capital has been a topic of much debate, but local rumors suggest it will be the five-star Caledonian Hotel, which boasts stunning views of Edinburgh Castle. A-list guests over the years have included Barack Obama, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly.
It’s fair to say that Edinburgh has transformed into Taylor Town over the weekend.
In the city centre, bagpipers dressed in traditional Scottish costumes perform the pop star’s greatest hits on the cobbled streets.
Tens of thousands of fans have arrived, some from as far away as Texas, Minnesota and Canada.
Some hotel rooms have quadrupled in price and are offering guests free gifts and cocktails named after the Shake It Off singer.
Meanwhile, trams are adorned with his name and restaurants sell “bespoke” creations such as Blank Space chocolates and Enchanted tea.
A group of Swifties wearing pink feather cowboy hats and Taylor t-shirts pose outside the stadium.
Sequins, cowboy hats and friendship bracelets are the uniform of the Swifties attending the show.
Fans brought umbrellas and waterproof jackets to protect their meticulously planned sets in Scotland from the rain.
Hair sequins, sparkly face paint, homemade t-shirts, hats and cowboy boots could be seen on almost every fan passing through the turnstiles.
A pub a stone’s throw from Murrayfield, the Roseburn Bar, has its own cocktail menu named after Swift’s hits.
One called Bad Blood, in honor of their 2014 number one, features ingredients like Jagermeister, lemonade and edible glitter.
As supporting act Paramore, an American band whose biggest songs include 2017’s Hard Times, rocked the stadium, dozens of Swifties milled outside singing their songs and exchanging friendship bracelets with strangers, standard practice before any Taylor show. .
Hair sequins, sparkly face paint, homemade t-shirts, hats and cowboy boots could be seen on almost every fan passing through the turnstiles.
The assistants, however, needed a lot of money.
Some Edinburgh hotels charged up to £800 per night for a standard room.
The megastar’s private jet landed in Edinburgh the afternoon before the concert
Taylor was hidden from view by black umbrellas as she exited the plane.
The singer was accompanied by a police escort as she was driven in a black BMW.
Tickets sold for up to £600, with desperate fans finding money was no object when it came to seeing global phenomenon Swift in person.
Those who want official merchandise will have to pay £70 for a hoodie with the singer’s face.
Water bottles are priced at £15, tote bags at £20, sweatshirts at £65 and t-shirts will set fans back £40.
Some Swifties, including dedicated superfan Amber Small, spent more than two hours in line, though they didn’t seem to mind.
Super Swiftie Megan Slater, 26, said: “I’ve been waiting over a year for tonight.” I don’t know why I’m going to live now. I’ve thought about this every day since I bought the tickets.
“I’ve been a fan since I was 12 and watching it get closer and closer to Edinburgh has been very exciting.”
He added: “It’s amazing to finally be in the same city, but I’m also just here for the songs.”
Swifties had started getting excited on Thursday after model-turned-actress Cara Delevingne posted a photo on Instagram in which she posed with Swift backstage at her Cabaret show in London.
For days, Swift’s fans, who are usually aware of her whereabouts, have speculated about when she would arrive in Edinburgh after her shows in Lyon finished on Monday.
But Ms Delevingne’s social media post revealed that the 14-time Grammy winner had made a secret dash to London’s West End, undetected before last night’s show.
