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Taylor Swift gets a touching welcome to Scotland with bag pipe performance

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4 weeks ago

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Taylor Swift has been greeted in Scotland with a unique bagpipe performance of her hit song “Love Story” ahead of her Eras Tour. The next leg of her tour will take place at Edinburgh’s Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium on Friday, June 7.

The Reel Time Band, an 11-piece ensemble featuring eight highland bagpipers and three drummers, performed outside the stadium wearing kilts altered for the occasion. The stadium’s sponsorship signage was temporarily changed from “Scottish Gas” to “Scottish Lass” to highlight her heritage, which she disclosed to fans at a 2015 concert.

Roddy Deans, pipe major of The Reel Time Band, expressed his excitement, stating, “Taylor’s tunes translate surprisingly well to traditional Scottish instruments. We’re all huge music fans, so we’re delighted to help welcome Taylor to Scotland in the best way we know how.” He also revealed that the band dedicated 32 hours of rehearsal to perfect their rendition of “Love Story.”

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift performs on stage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on May 29, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. The pop star was recently welcomed with a bagpipe rendition of “Love…


Xavi Torrent/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

In a TikTok video posted by Us Weekly of the performance, fans were quick to voice their opinions of the rendition. “Wow! Edinburgh went all out!! So impressive!!!” commented one fan, while another fan observed, “These bagpipers need to have their own set to open for Taylor.” One fan noted the band should do other covers, commenting, “If they did this during the bridge to smallest man who ever lived with the drummers it would be absolutely epic.”

Swift’s upcoming performances are highly anticipated, with fans eager to see her bring the Eras Tour to Scotland. Though Edinburgh isn’t the first city to give the star a warm welcome. In Spain, the 14-time Grammy winner was greeted with a grand motorcade escort from Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport to her hotel, complete with police on foot and horseback, barricades, and numerous fans. Before that, Stockholm, Sweden temporarily rebranded itself as “Swiftholm” to honor her arrival, showcasing the city’s enthusiasm on its official website.