Taylor Swift was in Scotland for less than a fortnight — but she still managed to make a major difference.
After playing three nights of sold out Eras Tour in the land of the brave earlier this month, Swift, 34, gave a sizable donation to the Edinburgh Food Project before jetting off to her next city. The charity took to Instagram on Monday, June 9, to share the news and thank the pop star for her display of philanthropy.
“As fans gathered at Murrayfield on Friday for the first of three record-breaking gigs, Edinburgh Food Project found out that Taylor Swift would be making a donation to support food banks across the city 🪩,” they captioned the post. “Taylor’s visit will live in Edinburgh’s memories for years to come, and this gift will mean people in crisis will also feel the long-lasting impact.”
The food bank also thanked Swift directly, writing, “You have changed Edinburgh for good 🫶,” and urged fans to donate £13 — Swift’s favorite number — themselves.
“We are thrilled that Taylor has decided to support the food banks and leave a lasting impact on Edinburgh,” Edinburgh Food Project director Bethany Biggar told People in a Wednesday, June 12, statement. “Things are really tough for a lot of people right now, so it is lovely to see someone like Taylor spreading such positivity.”
Biggar noted that since Swift’s donation began making headlines, they’ve received several more donations — which go toward operations from the Food Project’s seven food banks across the city to help the “6,000+ people in crisis that we support every year” — from Swifties all over the U.K. and abroad wanting to give back.
Now that she’s wrapped up in Edinburgh, Swift is headed to Liverpool, where she will perform three consecutive shows at Anfield Stadium from June 13 through June 15. Night one will mark the tours 100th show, as well as her half birthday. Fans have begun theorizing whether the big night will bring surprises. The pop star has been known to announce things, like rerecorded albums and new music videos, during her Eras Tour concerts. (Fun fact: The release of Swift’s “I Can See You” video, which was announced during a July 2023 show, was originally filmed in Liverpool.)
While what Swift has up her sleeve remains to be seen, the Liverpool City Council prepared for the event by announcing its plans to rebrand as “Taylor Town.” Beginning June 8, 11 different historic spots throughout the city transformed to reflect the “styles and stories” of each of Swift’s albums on the Taylor Town Trail.
The installations include a moss-covered grand piano to represent Evermore, a ‘“red room” to represent Red, giant hearts to represent Lover and a mural inspired by the number 13 to represent Fearless.
Local organizations and businesses are participating as well. The University of Liverpool, for instance, is hosting a free “Tay Day,” which is described as “a unique symposium for academics, students and fans to unpack the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift.”
“The event will include critical karaoke sessions, where researchers perform their findings to some of Taylor’s biggest hits,” the description continues, “and a series of interactive talks on subjects including her song lyrics, her award-winning albums and her place in feminism and the LGBTQ+ community.”
In addition, there will be workshops called “Liverpool Loves Taylor (Craft Version),” where visitors “can get creative with origami which will eventually form part of one of the installations, transform T-shirts in a session called Swif-tee Transformation, upcycle denim, make collages and decorate cupcakes — all inspired by Taylor Swift.”
After her time in “Tay Town,” Swift is scheduled for one tour stop in Cardiff, Wales, on June 18, before heading to her former home base of London for three shows at Wembley Stadium from June 21 to June 23.
