Upon arriving in Scotland, Taylor Swift was serenaded with a special bagpipe rendition of her popular song “Love Story” in anticipation of her upcoming Eras Tour. The next stop on her tour is scheduled for Friday, June 7 at Edinburgh’s Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium.
The Reel Time Band, a group of 11 musicians featuring eight highland bagpipers and three drummers, put on a lively performance outside the stadium in custom kilts. The sponsorship signage at the stadium was temporarily transformed from “Scottish Gas” to “Scottish Lass” in celebration of Taylor Swift’s Scottish heritage, which she had shared with fans during a concert in 2015. Roddy Deans, the pipe major of The Reel Time Band, shared his enthusiasm, saying, “Taylor’s music surprisingly suits traditional Scottish instruments very well. As big music fans ourselves, we are thrilled to welcome Taylor to Scotland in our unique way.” Deans also mentioned that the band spent 32 hours rehearsing to perfect their rendition of Swift’s hit song “Love Story.”
A video circulating on TikTok, shared by Us Weekly, featured a performance that garnered mixed reactions from fans. Some praised the Edinburgh display, with one fan calling it impressive and another suggesting they should open for Taylor Swift. Another fan recommended the band try other covers, envisioning an epic drummers’ performance during the bridge to “smallest man who ever lived.”
Fans are eagerly looking forward to Swift’s upcoming performances as she takes her Eras Tour to Scotland. While Edinburgh is not the first city to show love to the 14-time Grammy winner. In Spain, she was welcomed with a grand motorcade escort from the Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport to her hotel, with police on foot and horseback, barricades, and a crowd of enthusiastic fans. Prior to that, Stockholm, Sweden even went as far as temporarily renaming itself as “Swiftholm” to pay tribute to her arrival, displaying their excitement on the city’s official website.