A playable, moss-covered piano for Folklore; a sepia-toned mural that calls to the Tortured Poets Department: Taylor Swift's "eras" are all over the city ahead of her three tour dates.
Liverpool Swifties, and those visiting the city, will have something to look forward to even if they weren't able to nab tickets to any of Taylor Swift's upcoming concerts, when she arrives at Anfield Stadium for three days starting 13 June. In celebration of the singer's only tour dates in the north of England, the city has commissioned 11 works of public art to spread some Swiftness far beyond the stadium's walls.
Affectionately named the Taylor Town Trail, complete with a walking tour map for visitors to find each installation in the wild, these works represent each of the singer's "eras", or albums, and each is interactive. A playable, moss-covered piano, like the one Swift plays in her video for Cardigan off the 2020 indie album Folklore, has been set up in the garden of The Bluecoat, a local contemporary arts centre. A sepia-coloured collage mural that represents the moodiness of the Tortured Poets Department, the double album Swift released on 19 April 2024, decorates the wall of the Liverpool ONE shopping and residential complex. There's a swing here, a red room there; taken together, these findable pieces tap into a hyper-engaged fandom while offering surprising art experiences to locals and visitors alike.
"The Taylor Town Trail is going to put Swifties in pure pop heaven," Liverpool City Council's director for culture, Claire McColgan, said in a statement. "And even if you haven't got a ticket to one of the concerts, it's just going to be an unforgettable experience."
The trail will take visitors through some of Liverpool's most iconic locations, like the Royal Albert Dock, now adorned with a 7ft-high butterfly installation inspired by Swift's first album that guests can pose within; or the Lime Street Station with a giant clock to climb inside, representing Swift's Midnights album. All the installations were created by local artists and studios including, Catherine Rogers, Anna Mulhearn, Buy By Bethan, Submarine Studios and others.
The public arts project was done in collaboration with Make CIC, a local social enterprise that serves as a community makerspace and creative hub for Liverpool artists. Each Make CIC artist was given an album as inspiration, with the resulting collection of large-scale murals, Instagrammable backdrops and other interactive pieces of artwork opening on 8 June around the city.
"This project highlights the incredible artistic talent within Liverpool and emphasises our commitment to supporting local makers," said Make CIC's co-founder Kirsten Little. "By integrating their work into these high-profile events, we are not only enhancing the visibility of these artists but also bolstering our local economy and reaffirming Liverpool's status as a creative and innovative city."
The economic impact of Taylor coming to town has already been well-documented. Eras is the most lucrative tour in concert history and new data suggests that it will boost UK spending by almost £1bn this year.
The artwork isn't the only thing for Swifties to experience around Liverpool. Several local businesses are developing their own Eras-aligned offerings, including a Swift-themed drag brunch, a variety of craft workshops and a pre-concert party. But it's the Taylor Town Trail that Philippa Horrocks, special project manager at Culture Liverpool, who helped conceive of and produce the project, is most excited about.
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"I think my favourite era for Taylor Swift is 1989," said Horrocks, referencing the 2014 album Swift recorded under Scooter Braun's company, Big Machine, and later re-recorded, releasing "Taylor's Version" in order to gain ownership of the music in 2023. "It just so happens that the installation we're doing for 1989 is really impressive." Created by installations group Xyleía and paper artist Hannah Ng, together with Quirky Design Co and Submarine Studios, this art piece includes a photorealistic backdrop featuring blue skies and paper birds that represents the album's aesthetic. "When we were developing up the concept for that one, I was really excited about the idea," Horrocks said.
Visitors can find the full listing of Swift-related events and specials by visiting the Welcome to Taylor Town page on the Visit Liverpool website. The overall project is part of a larger "Liverpool loves…" campaign that uses crowd-drawing events in the city, like Comic Con, Eurovision or a Taylor Swift concert, to help celebrate the local businesses, artists and people that make Liverpool so unique. "Seeing how it's then come to life," Horrocks added enthusiastically, "It looks amazing."
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