'Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is returning to London for a second time. I have a theory why.'

I’m a Swiftie with a theory, a platform and a dream, and I think Taylor Swift is about to announce something big at her second lot of London shows. 

Do I know this for sure? Absolutely not, her inner circle is a vault. But if history serves, there is something afoot and I smell a new album. 

Potentially even the re-recording of Reputation (Taylor’s Version). 

Why do I think this? Let me explain this extremely compelling theory in full. 

Taylor Swift is undertaking two separate London stints.

Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Image: Getty.

When booking a tour, it’s very unusual for an artist to play a city, move to another, and then come back again.

Why? Well it’s an expensive and time-consuming odyssey to set up, unpack, move, set up, unpack and move back, set up and unpack—even just typing that out was exhausting. 

It not only bloats production costs, but is also unconventional from a marketing standpoint. 

Usually an artist will want to trigger their city’s fandom (AKA Swiftie Mania) at one pinnacle moment, not across two separate stints that could water down the buzz. 

Of course, Taylor Swift is not worried about buzz. She’s also not worried about money, having recently been named in Forbes’ rich list as the only person to make a billion dollars solely from songwriting and performing. 

So, she’s having two separate stints in London. 

But why, Taylor?!? Why?

The split dates are suspicious. 

Back in June when the European leg of the Eras Tour was announced, Swift confirmed four shows in London, on two weekends across two different months.

Yes, it was planned to be a split performance from the start: on June 21 and 22, and August 16 and 17. These dates were then widened out to three shows in each city, to meet demand. 

Finally, two extra shows were added on August 19 and 20, creating a three-show Wembley run in June and a second five-show Wembley run in August. 

In the middle she’s going to Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Western/Northern/Southern Germany, Poland and Austria, eventually finishing the European leg in London (again). 

One could say she’s metaphorically "reclaiming the land" as she sung in her hit Midnights song 'Bejeweled'.

As a Swiftie, it’s safe to say that I think it’s very odd that Taylor is coming back to London in August. 

Could she have simply had trouble booking in consecutive weekends at Wembley? Maybe. But we know she’s a mastermind in the way she plans her shows, so I think it was done on purpose. 

Why? Because I think she’s going to announce a new album there.

The Easter eggs that show Reputation (Taylor’s Version) will come out in 2024.

We love the thought of new music, but I don’t think it will be a brand new album to cannibalise The Tortured Poets Department’s success. Instead, I think it’s Reputation (Taylor's Version) that’s going to be announced at her final London show. Here’s why.

1. She likes to end her 'tour legs' on a high. 

Taylor Swift had a chat with her fans at her 100th show in Liverpool. Image: Getty

On the final show of the American leg of the Eras Tour on August 8, 2023 (8/9 in American date cadence), Swift announced the re-recording for, 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Naturally, the date was an indicator of the album, because she PLANS it that way. 

It was a ‘big reveal’ to send off the American leg, and then welcome her new Vault tracks on the South American leg, which was next.

Most fans thought Reputation (Taylor’s Version) would be next, but instead on February 4, Swift announced her 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department. She was then able to incorporate it into her European leg. 

It would follow that Swift will want to launch Reputation (Taylor’s Version) on her final show of the European leg, which will then give her fresh material (hello, Vault tracks) to infuse into her final leg, the North American tour. 

2. The last re-record was announced on a weekday, her final show is also on a weekday. 

We know Swift is all about releasing albums on Fridays, but when it comes to announcing them, she’s not so specific. 

The Taylor’s Version for Speak Now was announced on a Friday, 1989 on a Wednesday. 

There’s absolutely no reason that Tuesday, August 20, couldn’t be 'the day', in this regard. 

3. Karma music video nails. 

The '1989' finger is on the 8, while the 'Reputation' finger is on the '2'. Image: YouTube/TaylorSwift

In May 2023, Taylor Swift released the music video for her Midnights song ‘Karma’. 

One of the final clips of the video is of Swift holding a coffee with a latte-art clock and blue and black nails. The blue nail was on the ‘8’ and the black nail on the '2'. Fans assumed this meant that her blue-coded album 1989 would be announced in August, the eighth month (which did, in fact, happen), and her black-coded album Reputation would be announced in February, the second month. 

However, she surprised fans with the announcement for Tortured Poets in February instead. 

Could the '2', perhaps be in reference to ‘twice’, suggesting that she will announce Reputation (Taylor's Version) in the eighth month also? Perhaps! 

She will be in London in August…

Other fans believe this could suggest Reputation will be a secret double album, with a rumoured track list that was written in 2016 but never released, due to Swift being cancelled at the time.

4. Why else play a city twice?

If the above doesn’t convince you, then let us just rest on the fact that she is going to London twice, the only city on the entire tour she’s returning to. 

My final prediction? She’ll play 'So Long, London' as one of the surprise songs in her final show, as well as a hit from Reputation. Talk about a meaningful moment as she says farewell to the city that has become such a mainstay throughout her career.

You heard it here first.

Featured image: Getty