Whether you won the Taylor Swift ticket lottery or not, the reigning Queen of Pop was hard to avoid at the weekend, playing three triumphant concerts at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium and spreading immense joy in the process. Were you among the lucky 150,000 fans who saw Taylor in person? If so, you were in famous company, joining Julia Roberts, Stevie Nicks, Graham Norton and Swift’s sports star boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
Those who were even more fortunate may have even managed to spot Swift and her entourage after her final Irish gig on Sunday as they reportedly retired to Dublin bar, Hacienda on Little Mary Street in Dublin 7.
The bar posted on Facebook on Monday to say it had welcomed Swift alongside Kelce, her musicians, dancers, supporting act Paramore and “the legendary Stevie Nicks” following Swift’s three-night, sold-out stint at the Aviva.
“It was such a warm and genuinely friendly night, we did not request our ‘usual’ Hacienda photo so as to allow Taylor and friends the chance to properly relax and enjoy their well-deserved time off,” the Facebook post said.
The Hacienda on Little Mary Street in Dublin is a popular spot among celebrities visiting Ireland, with Olivia Rodrigo having dropped in after playing the 3Arena at the end of April, and Teddy Swims popping in after his one of his gigs in the 3Olympia earlier this year.
Back with the gigs, Irish celebrity fans were out in force on Friday.
Cork-born TV presenter Norton and a back-from-London radio host Ryan Tubridy were among those in the crowd, with both men gamely wearing the ultimate Swiftie fan accessory of friendship bracelets.
Norton posted a picture on Instagram of his right arm bedecked in a number of colourful bands.
Tubs, meanwhile, posted a concert clip online and said that it was a “stadium full of love”. He also posed a picture of himself wearing friendship bracelets with the caption – “So this is happening.”
Former Irish rugby internationals Brian O’Driscoll, Johnny Sexton and Rory Best also attended the gig.
O’Driscoll was joined by his wife, actor and writer Amy Huberman, while Sexton attended with his wife Laura Sexton and their children. Best attended with his wife Jodie Bell.
Sexton shared a picture online of him holding hands with his daughter as they walked in to the packed stadium which he tagged “this is retirement”.
Amy Huberman posted a shot of former rugby internationals Sexton, O’Driscoll and Best and said “they used to be swift enough in the Aviva themselves says you”.
Over the course of the rest of the weekend, a host of other Irish and global celebrities took to the Aviva to see Swift in action, including golfer Shane Lowry, who attended with his wife Wendy Lowry and their daughter, Westlife star Nicky Byrne, Virgin Media presenter Karen Koster, Ireland AM star Muireann O’Connell, former RTÉ 2FM presenter Doireann Garrihy with her fiance Mark Mehigan and Six O’Clock show presenter Katja Mia.
Arguably more notable stars in the VIP tent at Sunday’s show included Hollywood actress Julia Roberts, that guy who won the Super Bowl (aka Travis Kelce – aka Swift’s boyfriend), and Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks.
Swift had an adorable reaction to noticing Kelce from the stage on Sunday, during her song august.
She also sang Clara Bow live for the first time ever on Sunday, as Nicks is mentioned in the lyrics. Swift said that she wanted to sing it because Nicks was in attendance.
Local lingo by her dancers
One of Swift’s dancers, Kameron Saunders, who is known for using local lingo instead of the “like ever!” line in the recorded version of We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together dependent on which city the tour is playing in, delivered a few belters to the Dublin crowd, including “póg mo thoin” on Friday night.
On Saturday night, Saunders shouted “the neck of ye” and on Sunday, he said, “bleedin’ eejit”.
Saunders also posted a video lip syncing the original audio to “the neck of ye” which went viral a while back, to his Instagram stories following the concert.
Clara O’Sullivan, an eight year old girl from Ladysbridge in Co Cork, was at the Eras tour on Sunday night with her aunt Stephanie Skierka when a member of Swift’s team approached them mid concert asking them to come with her.
O’Sullivan was then taken to the stage as Swift began singing her hit song 22, which happens to be O’Sullivan’s favourite, and Swift gave her a hat she had been wearing and signed it, a tradition that happens at every concert in the tour for a lucky fan who is chosen.
“We were dancing our heads off so then after a song, Love Story, I got chosen and then I was like, no idea what was happening and then I just got the hat,” O’Sullivan said, while speaking to PJ Coogan on the Cork’s 96FM Opinion Line on Monday morning.
The hat, signed by Swift, says Taylor Swift Dublin Eras Tour 2024.
Her aunt, Skierka, said that O’Sullivan has not taken off the hat since she got it, and when Skierka suggested putting it in a glass box, O’Sullivan swiftly said, “no,” because she wants to show her friends.
Locally sourced gloves
Irish glove designer Paula Rowan said meanwhile that she is “delighted and truly honoured” that Taylor Swift has opted to wear her white Aida leather gloves for the Tortured Poets Department Section of her Eras tour.
The designer, whose business is based in the Westbury Mall off Balfe Street in Dublin, says she is really grateful to Swift for donning her designs.
“Taylor Swift is one of the world’s best selling artists with a huge reach and influence in both the music industry and popular culture. Artist, businesswoman and philanthropist, she really is an inspiration and role model to all. Thank you to all involved.”
Swift isn’t the only superstar to wear gloves designed by Rowan, with Madonna, Cher, Beyoncé and Dua Lipa also sporting her creations which are handmade in Italy. Her gloves have also been worn in the HBO series And Just Like Like That starring Sarah Jessica Parker.
The Dublin designer also supplied gloves for Lady Gaga when she played the lead role in the House of Gucci. Her pieces have also been worn by Kate Middleton, Helen Mirren and Kate Moss.
The glove designer designed her first glove collection fifteen years ago and describes her creations as “couture for the hands.”
Taylor arriving
But where is Taylor now? Aviation enthusiasts were all over her arrival into Ireland on Thursday, but her departure date is as yet unclear.
On Thursday night, Shaun Dunne, aviation enthusiast, posted from his account on X, formerly Twitter, @shauns_aviation, to say that he would be going plane spotting around 12pm on Friday, and would likely listen to some Taylor Swift music while doing so.
And that he did, posting a video of the airport’s viewing point on Friday morning, with Swift’s hit song Shake it Off playing in the background.
At 12.16pm, Dunne tweeted that “she is down”.
Further to this, an account on social platform Bluesky, called Taylor Swift’s Jet’s (Tracking), corroborated Dunne’s suspicion that it was in fact Swift’s jet, with it posting that her plane landed at 11.56am, after taking off from London Stansted Airport at about 11am.
Eras tour dancers land early
Ahead of the arrival of Swift herself, some of her dancers were in Dublin.
One of the Eras tour dancers, Sam McWilliams, posted an Instagram story on Wednesday night of him at a Troye Sivan concert, that looked suspiciously like the Troye Sivan concert that took place in Dublin’s 3Arena that evening.
Usually, many performers wait until they are leaving a city or country before posting about it. Unless you are McWilliams of course, who clearly loves Sivan and wanted to share it immediately with his eagle-eyed followers who are eager to track Swift’s every move.
Kameron Saunders, another of Swift’s better-known dancers, also reposted an Instagram story from Benjamin Williams, a dancer on tour with Troye Sivan, expressing his gratitude that Saunders went to the concert. Saunders reposted the story, a picture of the pair of them, saying that “the entire concert was WILDDDDD”.
Celebrities out in force in London
Swift came to Dublin fresh from her three-night stint at London’s Wembley Stadium last weekend, which was also attended by an almost ridiculous number of celebrities.
So who of note did go to see Swift in Wembley last weekend? And Don’t Blame Me, but this list is long:
Travis Kelce, American football player who won the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs but who also so happens to be Swift’s boyfriend, not only attended all three shows in Wembley, but joined her on stage on Sunday as a dancer.
Prince William also attended her concert with his two eldest children, and met Swift and Kelce afterwards, with Swift posting a photo on Instagram.
What arguably garnered more attention, however, is the future King’s dance moves captured on video during the concert. But sure look, at least he enjoyed himself.
Tom Cruise, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and Hugh Grant were also reportedly spotted in Wembley on Saturday night.
Barbie director Greta Gerwig was also there, reports say.
On Friday, Galway woman, Derry Girls and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan was in attendance, as were fellow actors Salma Hayek and Leslie Mann.
Zara and Mike Tindall, Erin Andrews, Charissa Thompson and Stella McCartney were also there.
Labour leader Keir Starmer, model Cara Delevingne and Queer Eye’s Jonathan van Ness were also spotted at the concert on Friday.
American actor Rachel Zegler, known for her roles in West Side Story and The Hunger Games prequel, also attended the concert on Saturday, posting on X afterwards.
The Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth was also reported to be in attendance at Wembley.
Ellie Goulding, Gracie Abrams – who released a song called Us featuring Swift on Friday, June 21st – were in attendance on Sunday.
Veteran rock stars Paul McCartney and Jon Bon Jovi were also spotted at the concert on Sunday.
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