Taylor Swift Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images
In honor of Taylor Swift becoming the first artist to perform at London’s Wembley Stadium eight times in a single tour, the venue gave her a special present.
“In recognition of becoming the first solo artist to play Wembley Stadium eight times on a single tour, we gifted Taylor Swift her own personalized Wembley guitar,” a Friday, August 23, note on the arena’s social media pages read. “So long, Taylor. It was enchanting 💖.”
Wembley handed Swift, 34, a blue-and-black acoustic guitar, matching the colors of the venue exterior itself, that said “So Long, Taylor. It’s Been a Wembley Love Story” in honor of her tracks “So Long, London” and “Love Story.” Each concert date was inscribed on the middle of the guitar.
In addition to presenting the pop star with the musical instrument, they left a handwritten note in between the strings.
“Thank you for eight unforgettable nights under the [Wembley] arch. You are now, officially, the biggest-selling female artist to ever perform at Wembley Stadium, and we think that is something to celebrate,” the message read. “We hope your very own Wembley Stadium guitar acts as a reminder of your record-breaking shows here in London. We would love you to come back soon.”
Swift headlined eight Eras Tour concerts at Wembley between June and August. She officially wrapped the dates on Tuesday, August 20, breaking the record for the first time in 30 years for the amount of sold-out stops at the stadium during a single tour. Michael Jackson, who died in 2009, previously held the record for 30 years.
“Because of you, you just made me the first solo artist to ever play Wembley eight times in a single tour,” Swift gushed during her Tuesday concert. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the entire tour. You doing that for us is forever. We will never, ever be able to thank you enough for it.”
Swift’s London run — which featured special cameos from boyfriend Travis Kelce, Gracie Abrams, Ed Sheeran, Florence Welch, Jack Antonoff and more — concluded the European leg of Eras.
“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,” Swift wrote in an Instagram message earlier this week, referring to a new section of the show dedicated to April’s The Tortured Poets Department.
Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Taylor Swift’s last Eras Tour stop in Europe may not have featured a highly-anticipated Reputation (Taylor’s Version) re-release announcement, but it did prove to be full of its own surprises. Swift, 34, shocked fans during the Tuesday, August 20, performance when she brought Florence Welch of Florence + […]
She continued, “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.”
The August London shows were a “rollercoaster of emotions” for Swift, whose Vienna concerts were canceled after a now-thwarted terror attack plan on the stadium.
“Having our Vienna shows canceled 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,” she said. “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.”
Swift will close out Eras performances in the United States and Canada later this fall, ultimately wrapping in December.
