Taylor Swift fans went wild tonight as Ed Sheeran made a surprise perform with the American popstar at Wembley Stadium.
The pair, who are long-term friends and co-collaborators, were greeted by screams and huge cheers from the 92,000-strong crowd in London.
During her surprise song set, which Swift changes each gig, the singer-songwriters’ performed their song Everything has Changed from the 2012 album Red, followed by End Game from Reputation.
The duo then sang an emotional acoustic rendition of Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud while bright green lights shone out from the stadium.
Before he left the stage, Swift showered him with compliments and while hugging him described him as a ‘second brother’.
She said: ‘Now he is someone that plays Wembley like every week. This is regular for him and he works so hard. He’s probably so tired but he wanted to come play for you and do this for all of you.’
The appearance comes as Swift returned to London for the first time since the tragic Southport knife attacks and a foiled terror plot led to three of her shows in Vienna being axed.
Those closest to Swift said tonight’s performance would be the ‘hardest concert of her career’ after both incidents left her ‘shaken to the core’ and as a result many speculated she would be joined by good friend Ed, 33.
The American superstar made an emotional return in front of a 92,000 strong-crowd telling them ‘we love you so much London’.
She did not immediately address the horrifying stabbing that took place at a Swift-themed dance class on July 29, that killed Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Swift said she was at ‘a complete loss’ over the devastating attack.
‘The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock,’ the 34-year-old singer said following the incident.
‘The loss of life and innocence and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, the first response. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.’
Just days later, Swift was then forced to cancel three gigs in Vienna after police uncovered a foiled ISIS terror plot. Swift has not commented publicly on the attempted attack but insiders said she was left ‘horrified’.
Tonight, however, as the queen of pop made a triumphant return to the stage in London for the final five shows of the European leg of her Eras tour, which has been running since last year.
Cheers exploded from the stadium as the star appeared to begin her three-hour show, complete with 13 sparkly outfit changes.
Fans – known affectionately as Swifties – poured into the stadium as they eagerly awaited to see the pop icon, clad in a variety of outfits and covered in glitter.
Amongst the sea of Swifties were a number of famous faces, including Idris Elba and Amelia Dimoldenberg. When asked if he was excited to be there Elba said ‘Oh my god, yeah, can’t you tell?’ adding his favourite song was London Boy.
The joyous return to the stage, where she opened with Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince, comes after a turbulent few weeks for the singer and her fan base.
Breaking her silence in an emotional speech after Cruel Summer, the star said: ‘The way that you have chosen to welcome us. There are 92,000 of you, out here, with your hands in the air – screaming the words.
‘Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. We love you so much London,’ she added. ‘I know how much planning and energy and effort it took to come to these shows I really appreciate that.’
Later on in the show, Swift came out dressed for her Red Era wearing a t-shirt that said ‘a lot going on at the moment’. Her t-shirt references are often picked up by fans.
During her hit song 22, Swift gave her black hat away to a young blonde girl wearing a light blue jumper who was singing along to the lyrics. The two embraced for a few seconds before Swift gave her the hat.
Swifties in London, however, have insisted they feel ‘safe’ with a ring of steel being erected around the stadium with hundreds of security staff wearing yellow-jackets on guard.
The Met Police have also reassured the public that they are ‘well prepared’ for the five gigs taking place over the next week, with additional ticket checks taking place.
The force has also put a stop to fans congregating outside the stadium to hear her music – often referred to as ‘tay-gating’ – telling those who do not have a ticket will be turned away from the area.
Around 90,000 fans will pack themselves into the venue each night, dressed in their themed outfits, often full of glitter.
‘After Vienna, it’s good to hear that they’ve upped the security’, student Brodie MacArthur, 23, said. ‘In the back of your head, there’s still worries. But there are a lot of people here to keep it safe.’
Little Sophie Hutton, who has been in Great Ormond Street hospital with cancer for 72 days, said she could not wait to see Swift perform tonight.
The schoolgirl from Sutton, who is still recovering, said: ‘They just called us up and said ‘would Sophie like to go’ and I was like, yes! I won a Taylor Swift colouring book and we have been wanting to go ever since
‘(Being in Great Ormond Street) it was quite scary and what got me through was colouring.’
Her mother Angela Hutton, called her daughter ‘super brave’ and said: ‘This is the best first place to go when you’re out of hospital. It’s absolutely fantastic.’
Another heartwarming moment caught on camera showed a police officer trading bracelets with a young Swiftie.
The little girl, wearing a pink princess dress was seen handing over a pink bracelet to the female officer, while the cop in return tied another bracelet onto the youngsters arm.
Trading friendship bracelets at Swift’s concerts has become a ritual with fans since the Eras Tour kicked off in Arizona last year, with Swifties spending hours making the beaded bands.
Idris Elba was amongst those trading friendship bands. Elba, who stopped short of admitting he was a fully-fledged Swiftie, then traded bracelets with another fan Sienna Lorenz, 19, a student from Nottingham University.
‘I gave him a London Boy bracelet and it broke as soon as he touched it so I gave him the Style one and he said thank you,’ Ms Lorenz said. Ms Lorenz said
Erin Robertson, an American fashion designer who won television show Project Runway in 2016, also attended the concert.
The owner of fashion brand An-Erin said that she spent three days making a special outfit for her fiancee, former US footballer Stephanie McCaffrey, 31.
The top was pink and orange, and made entirely of Swift-themed friendship bracelets, including letters and coloured beads culminating in a halter neck.
Robertson said: ‘I made the top and it was inspired by the lyrics of The Man and all the friendship bracelets that everyone makes.’
Meanwhile four siblings have travelled from all across the world to see Swift’s show tonight.
Kiki Heath, 34, has travelled from Canada, student Bailey Heath, 23, from Bristol, Indi Heath, 36, from Surrey and China Heath, 26, from Budapest.
‘When the doors open we will be sprinting,’ Indi said, adding that they would ‘run as fast as they can’.
The first person in the queue arrived at 11am on Wednesday to try and get ‘the best spot’ in the stadium.
Coco, 19, said the experience of her first Swift concert had already been ‘really fun’, adding that the atmosphere had been ‘really nice’ with fans making friendship bracelets together.
‘We wanted to come as early as we could, we wanted to be the first ones because you get the best view and you have the most space’, the teen who travelled down from Surrey said.
‘It’s way more relaxed. Lots of people find it uncomfortable to camp out but I think it’s really fun. You get to meet other people.
‘We were the only ones there until 8pm yesterday. We were relaxing, making bracelets but once people started arriving, the atmosphere was really nice. Everyone has common interests and it was really nice speaking with everyone.’
Some fans, however, were left furious after being trapped outside Wembley as the singer began her first set.
Swifties were left angered as they were refused entry to the stadium due to a maintenance issue after security ran out of wristbands.
Fans were pleading to be let in quicker so that they didn’t miss the start of the show. She sings Cruel Summer, The Man and Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince first.
A concert goer said: ‘It was chaos they wouldn’t let anyone in without a wristband. They would bring some up but run out and you had to wait ages each time before they got more.’
In a bid to make fans feel even safer tonight after the scare in Vienna, police are expected to be much firmer with fans who do not have tickets, and will ‘move on’ anyone who tries to gather outside the stadium to listen.
The foiled terror plot in Vienna, Austria, involved a car, knives and explosives and was reported to have targeted those gathered outside the stadium.
Following the Southport tragedy the singer posted a tribute to Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
Swift said she was at ‘a complete loss’ over the horror. Police have said the attack is not being investigated as terrorism related.
But events haven’t put a dampener on fans’ spirits, with some waiting in line for as long as 30 hours until doors open.
‘It doesn’t feel real, that it’s actually happening!’ excited ticket-holder Katie Moulson, 24, said this afternoon.
The shows will have a different support act each day starting with instrumentalist Sofia Isella and also including Brit Award-winner Raye, Daisy Jones & the Six star Suki Waterhouse and rising stars, Maisie Peters and Holly Humberstone.
Indigo Wilde, 28, says she has been a fan of Swift, 34, since she was 12, and considers the star her ‘best friend’.
The illustrator, who says her favourite era is Fearless, says she has been to eight of her shows, which cost her around £900 for tickets.
She said: ‘Taylor has been my best friend since I was 12. For a lonely teenage girl, she is the best friend you could have to carry around in your pocket with you. I love her so much.’
The superfan says she spent 300 hours making a bedazzled bodysuit for the first Era’s Tour show and two weeks on tonight’s bedazzled white dress—which shows all the different Eras.
Following the incident in Vienna Indigo says that she still feels very safe, due to the community of fans.
She added: ‘I feel safe. The community is very close, and we look out for each other. When I am in there I will just be thinking about Taylor, not about that.’
Katie Jackson, 18, who works in care and travelled from Leeds, was wearing an outfit inspired by Taylor Swift’s song Lover, made by her mother over several months.
Regarding security, Miss Jackson said: ‘They’ve put other things in place now and bumped up the security a bit more but you can’t let it stop you. They wouldn’t go ahead if it was going to be dangerous.’
Sister super fans Melissa and Maddie Thornton travelled from Coventry for the show and are staying in a nearby hotel.
The pair say they are beyond excited for their first time seeing Swift, having spent £180 each on tickets which they bought last July.
Melissa, 17, who loves the Evermore era most, said: ‘We have been fans for a really long time, since about 2012.
‘This is our first time seeing her. We are really excited. She is very relatable.’
Sister Maddie, 19, who loves Fearless, added: ‘Her impact on the music industry has been incredible.
‘We were a bit worried that the show was going to get cancelled, but I think the Vienna incident probably just made security tighter. If anything now we should be more safe.’
TV personality Dick Strawbridge, 64, most well-known for his hit show Escape to the Chateau, was seen attending the event with his daughter Dorothy.
He said: ‘You will have to see me in my outfit later, I am just going to get changed.
‘We just went to get her hair bedazzled.’
The floors on the walk to the stadium were littered with jewels and feathers, with either side packed with vendors pushing merchandise.
One hopeful fan has travelled all the way from Belgium without a ticket – and says she’ll be ‘gutted’ if she has to leave.
It has become a trend for eager fans to gather where superstar Swift is playing, even if they can’t get into the show, and listen to the concert – a practice known as ‘Tay-gating’.
But Wembley Stadium said earlier this week that non-ticket holders will be moved on.
Gaellle Windy, 25, is waiting outside the venue this afternoon with a sign begging for a spare ticket.
She has been a fan for eight years and even has a Lover themed tattoo on her arm.
Gaelle said: ‘I went to a show in Paris and one in London during the reputation tour. I tried to get tickets when they first came out, but it was impossible.
‘Resellers are selling them for around £600, but they should only be £100.
‘I love Taylor because I relate to the lyrics. They are so moving, and they helped me get through some hard times.’
The adoring fan said she had hoped to listen to the songs from outside but has heard rumours that security will be moving people on who try.
She added: ‘I understand why they are doing it after what happened in Vienna, the security is going crazy.
‘If they tell me to move on then I will, but I will be gutted. I am going to try to stay.’
Lifelong fans Alice Barden and Grace Hitchcock, both 19, have also arrived at Wembley early on Friday.
Alice, who says her favourite eras are Fearless and Folklore, said: ‘I have been a fan as long as I can remember.
‘I am so excited. This is my first time seeing her and I can’t wait. We were a little worried before because of Vienna, but I feel really good now we are here.
‘I am really hoping for the other side of the door as a surprise song, but I could go on all day I love her music so much.’
Grace added: ‘I love Taylor because she is just so positive and kind. Her music is amazing.’
A trio of besties who have been Swift fans since her debut album more than 15 years ago, showed up in homemade bedazzled outfits inspired by Taylor’s performance costumes.
Leonnie Howle, 33, who wore a hand stitched white dress, said: ‘I love Fearless because I was crying in my bedroom to it when I was 15.
‘It is so nostalgic. We are around the same age as her, so the music has always been reminiscent of what we were going through in life at the time. We grew up with it.’
Natalie Bates-Siney, 32, spent two months making her bedazzled bodysuit, said: ‘I flew to America to see one of her shows.
‘She is just so relatable. It is really like a community now. When we were younger it wasn’t seen as cool to be a Swiftie, we were mocked. But now it’s super cool.’
Becky Scott, 32, who wore a black bodysuit and loves The Tortured Poets Department the most, said: ‘We flew to Paris just to see her perform. The lyrics are the reason I love her so much.
‘When we saw her in Paris, I have never been to a concert like that before. Everyone is so nice.’
Meanwhile the Metropolitan Police have said they are ‘well prepared’ ahead of Swift’s run of concerts at Wembley.
It comes after the Grammy-winner paid tribute to victims of the Southport attack in which three young girls were killed in a mass stabbing in July at a holiday club event themed on the singer.
Swift had been touring to packed stadiums across the continent this spring and summer but her three shows at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium were called off last week after police uncovered an alleged plot by suspected terrorists.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan had promised at the time that the UK capital would ‘carry on’ hosting Swift’s concerts, despite the threat.
Commander Lou Puddefoot of the Metropolitan Police said: ‘A series of concerts will begin at Wembley on Thursday evening and we are looking forward to welcoming thousands of people to the capital.
‘Over recent months, we have been working very closely with the stadium, event organisers and other partners, to ensure that all visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience.
‘We are well prepared for this event and the public should expect to see officers, security staff and stewards working together in and around the venue and at transport hubs.
‘The Met is regularly involved in the policing of these types of events and as always, we have a flexible plan in place to ensure everyone can enjoy themselves safely.
‘Wembley Stadium has provided detailed advice on its website to ensure ticketholders travelling to the venue have a great experience.
‘We continue to ask the public to remain vigilant and if something doesn’t feel right, to report it to a police officer or in an emergency call 999.’
The stadium has put a guide online for fans attending the shows, which warns them not to bring chains, chain wallets, studded jewellery or spurs, noise-making devices such as air horns, bells, bullhorns, thunder sticks or aerosol containers – including sunscreen, pepper spray, bug spray, or spray paint with them.
Additionally, ticketless supporters will be unable to congregate outside the stadium, thwarting an often common practice among the singer’s fans known as ‘tay-gating’.