Taylor Swift: Three-day tour “Eras” in Dublin

Taylor Swift fans will experience the sold-out Eras tour in Dublin this weekend.

The singer brought her record-breaking tour to the Aviva Stadium in the Irish capital for three nights starting Friday, with more than 150,000 Swifties in attendance.

Before Friday, six years had passed since Swift’s last show in Dublin.

The 152-date Eras tour developed into the most lucrative concert series in history.

And the arrival in Dublin isn’t the only major event in the Irish capital this weekend – Pride, the Latitude Festival, the All-Ireland GAA Football Championship quarter-finals and Shania Twain all draw their own crowds to the city.

Around 50,000 fans filled the Aviva Stadium on Friday evening to see the US musician.

Swift began her time on the Emerald Isle with great praise for Ireland and its culture.

“Dublin, we’ve arrived!” she said. “You guys make me feel so good, it’s gone straight to my head. I feel very, very strong.”

The concert featured an elaborate production, numerous costume changes and a setlist that spanned more than three hours and included dozens of songs, taking her fans on a chronological journey through her albums.

“Nobody does it like you. You know that, don’t you?” she said, calling the Irish “unrivalled storytellers” with the “best accent.”

In a now-viral segment, Swift’s dancers used the Irish language to yell “póg mo thóin” (which means “kiss my ass”) during a performance of “We Are Never Getting Back Together.”

Before the performance, Swift received a bouquet of flowers and a welcome card from the Irish rock band U2.

It read: “Dear Taylor, welcome back to our hometown… leave some of this?!!!!”

Taylor Swift concerts are so big that the Garda (Irish police) declared the three days an “extraordinary event.”

Special measures are being taken to ensure that there are sufficient Gardaí (police officers) to police the city.

Police costs for five Garth Brooks concerts in Croke Park in 2022 amounted to €380,000 (£320,000), and police costs for Taylor Swift’s three nights are expected to be about the same.

In Belfast, about 300 fans were preparing to leave for Dublin by bus on Friday morning.

Speaking to BBC News NI, 18-year-old Lucy Glover said she had been looking forward to the performance for “so long”.

“It was a milestone and now it’s here,” Ms Glover said.

Lauren Shannon said: “It’s like Christmas.”

Monique Uprichard, 23, who wore a dress inspired by the album “Lover,” said: “I had to plan the outfit, it’s Taylor Swift.”

The economic influence of this global superstar is now known as Swiftonomics.

The US leg of the Eras tour last year was the first in history to gross more than $1 billion (£792 million), and it is now estimated that the international tour will increase that figure to as much as $4 billion (£3.1 billion).

The highly anticipated UK leg could provide a boost to the economy of almost a billion pounds, and the only Irish city on the tour is also expecting to benefit from such a boost.

The only comparable world star to perform in Dublin was Garth Brooks.

An estimated 400,000 fans attended his five-day appearance at Croke Park.

The Dublin Chamber of Commerce estimates that the tourists who travelled to these concerts brought a €35 million boost to the economy. Could Swift achieve the same?

Dublin Chamber said the real benefit would be to travellers from abroad.

Aebhric McGibney, director of public and international affairs, said tourism would be the biggest beneficiary of the Eras tour.

“You see people from all over the country coming to Dublin and spending some time here, it’s fantastic.

“But the real economic impact comes from people travelling from overseas, from Great Britain, Northern Ireland and even the United States. And generally speaking, the longer the person has to travel, the more time they will spend here.”

Mr McGibney added that the 2,000 to 3,000 people who had travelled from the US “could easily spend a few thousand euros” during their visit.

Hotel rooms are still available, some costing over €500 (£420) a night, but there are also more affordable rooms.

Companies around Aviva and Dublin are planning a great weekend with unlimited brunches, Taylor quizzes and mug making, to name just some of the more unusual offerings.