Yahoo News London Underground map redesigned with Taylor Swift themed lines and stations as Eras hits Wembley
Taylor Swift is in town and even TfL seems to be getting excited about it, by redesigning the Tube map, themed around her albums and songs. The new map also features locations marked with gemstones and sequins that Swifties should visit.
She is playing shows today (June 21) and on Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23, before returning on August 15, 16, 17, 19, and 20. The record-breaking show is set to generate £300 million for the capital's economy and London is hosting more performances of The Eras Tour than anywhere in the world with nearly 700,000 people attending.
The new map has been called Tube Map Taylor's Version and includes all 11 of her studio albums renaming 10 of the 11 Tube lines and the Elizabeth line (with Waterloo & City left out). Eleven gemstones mark out significant locations in the capital for Taylor - Wembley Stadium, Hampstead Heath, Highgate, Camden Market, Hackney, Shoreditch, Bond Street, Soho, Notting Hill, West End and Brixton.
These places are marked out to encourage Swifties to explore London in Taylor's footsteps. The lines have all been thoughtfully changed to the names of her album too - appropriately her album Red replaces the Central line, normally a red line on Harry Beck's traditional Tube map. Each of the album's corresponding songs make up the stations on the lines.
Taylor Swift themed London Underground lines
District line > Taylor Swift
Circle line > Fearless (Taylor's Version)
Metropolitan line > Speak Now (Taylor's Version)
Central line > Red (Taylor's Version)
Victoria line > 1989 (Taylor's Version)
Jubilee line > Reputation
Hammersmith and City line > Lover
Elizabeth line > folklore
Bakerloo line > evermore
Piccadilly line > Midnights
Northern line > The Tortured Poets Department
Her transformative album 1989 replaces the Victoria line - arguably this album transported her career to superstardom level. Her most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department, takes the place of the Northern line, while its predecessor, Midnights, replaces the Piccadilly line.
Not every station is represented on the map as TfL has only put enough stations on to correlate with the number of songs on each album - the Piccadilly line has 53 stations in reality while Midnight only has 13 songs. Her 'lockdown albums', folklore and evermore, are shown as the Elizabeth line and the Bakerloo line. Her debut album Taylor Swift takes the District line.
The map will be on display at Wembley Stadium during her performances. Wembley Park will also host two other new public artworks in celebration of her arrival, including a giant mural on the Spanish Steps, which are being temporarily renamed the ‘Swiftie Steps’. The steps, which connect Wembley Stadium and the OVO Arena Wembley, will feature ‘Auras’ by Frank Styles which is compiled digitally from over 30 separate physical paintings. Below the steps will be the ‘…Ready For It’ mural by MurWalls & HUMOR which features a portrait with lyrics interwoven across the installation.
A Taylor trail (#LDNTaylorsVersion) launched on Friday will celebrate places across the capital that are referenced in her music, with venues displaying new vinyl stickers in their windows to welcome Swifties and share other locations of interest. They include the West End, Soho, Bond Street, Camden Market, Highgate, Hampstead Heath, Vauxhall, Shoreditch, Hackney, Brixton and Kentish Town. The trail will be available on the Visit London website and through QR codes at participating venues from Friday.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said he is a 'proud Swiftie'. He said: "The Eras Tour has broken records and created huge excitement so I'm delighted that Taylor Swift has chosen to perform more nights in London than anywhere else in the world. Her eight performances will bring nearly 700,000 fans from across the country and beyond to Wembley Stadium, providing a huge boost to our hospitality industry and further proof that London is the greatest city in the world to watch live music.
"As Taylor prepares for Friday's opening performance, we are proud to give her and her fans a big London welcome, with celebrations across the capital including a special Tube map, trail and murals in her honour. I encourage Swifties to not only enjoy the fantastic shows, but also make the most of everything London has to offer, and hope that even more people are encouraged to enjoy the incredible live music available in our city."
Laura Citron OBE, CEO of Visit London, said: "We're very proud that London is hosting more shows than any other city of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour, a real testament to her love for London. The tourism impact of the tour is expected to be huge: with flight bookings to London up as much as 34 per cent compared to 2023, and hotel searches four times higher in the week leading up to her second leg in August. Music and entertainment continue to be leading motivators for visitors to London."
Nur Kanmaz of Soul Look, Camden Market, said: "After a long wait, Taylor Swift fans have taken to the streets of London, brimming with excitement for The Eras Tour. As all Swifties know, Taylor is no stranger to London and in turn has left a trail of must-see spots. For example, in her song 'London Boy', she sings 'I enjoy walking Camden Market in the afternoon'. As a result, it would take one walk through the market to see it has also become one of these iconic places and I can't wait to meet many more Swifties in the coming weeks."
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