Taylor Swift closes out first US leg of The Eras Tour at sold-out SoFi Stadium
By Mike Bedigan, PA Los Angeles correspondent
Taylor Swift has kicked off the final show in her historic sold-out run at the SoFi Stadium in California, which is set to close out the first US leg of her The Eras Tour.
The US megastar took to the stage at around 8pm local time in front of screaming crowds in the arena in Inglewood, which can reach up to 100,000 capacity.
Swift began with tracks from her seventh studio album Lover, opening with Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince before launching into Cruel Summer.
Addressing her fans, known as Swifties, the singer said: “It’s an honour and a thrill to say these words to you, Los Angeles, California – welcome to The Eras Tour.”
She continued: “I’m not sure if you know this, but you have decided to attend this show on the last night of our six night run at SoFi Stadium, but also on the last night of the US leg of The Eras Tour.
“Because you have made this decision to attend this concert, you have to deal with my emotions, and as you may know, I have a lot of them.”
Swift went on to thank members of The Eras Tour production crew as well as her support act and “best friends” – rock trio Haim.
Swift’s tour sets have consistently run over three hours long as she goes through her extensive back catalogue, dividing the shows into sections for each album.
The setlists have combined her hit songs and two tracks unique to each performance – keeping the setlist fresh for fans.
Swift is the first artist ever to sell out six performances in a row at SoFi, which was the venue for the 2022 Super Bowl.
Fans at The Eras Tour shows have been encouraged to bring and trade handmade friendship bracelets, with thousands posting their exchanges online in previous days.
Big Hollywood names have also been seen sharing bracelets and enjoying the California shows including Channing Tatum, Cameron Diaz, Hilary Duff, Brie Larson, Elizabeth Banks and Amy Adams.
Since kicking off the SoFi run last week the singer’s presence in California has prompted a number of special celebrations.
The Recording Academy announced a special pop-up exhibition – I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) – which will be on show at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles until September 18.
Los Angeles bakery Sweet Lady Jane’s has also launched a new cupcake, titled Taylor’s Version, and various merchandise stores and themed party nights have taken place across the city.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was also reported to have taken part in a Taylor Swift-themed SoulCycle class while on holiday in Los Angeles.
A new report from the the California Center for Jobs and the Economy estimated the shows would bring 320 million dollars (£250 million) to the Los Angeles County economy.
Swift’s final show at SoFi on Wednesday comes a day after she once again dominated nominations at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).
She picked up a total of eight nominations, including seven for her Anti-Hero music video as well as a nod in the artist of the year category.
Swift will now take a break before taking The Eras Tour to Mexico and South America, before returning to the US for further dates in October.