Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that 2024 is Taylor Swift’s year – again. Her latest album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, is one of the year’s biggest successes so far. The Eras tour landed in Europe this Spring and made its way to the UK for a raft of impressive shows across the country. In August, she’ll return to London for another run of shows at Wembley Stadium, during which time she’ll equal the record for the most concerts at the venue in one tour, joining Take That on eight.
Since The Eras tour began, cities around the world have welcomed the pop icon with special Swift-themed events and rebranding. In June, for her first stint here, London put on drag brunches and tours, special after-parties and club nights in her honour. Now, as the capital gears up for her return, one of its most respected institutions is celebrating the star’s career in a new exhibition.
The Taylor Swift Songbook Trail will take over the V&A this summer, with 13 installations celebrating not just the success and achievements but also the creative process of a modern pop history maker. The trail will take visitors around the museum’s permanent galleries, offering a look at costumes and accessories worn by Swift and insights into her songwriting, storytelling, and music videos at each stop.
Along the way, there’ll be stations dedicated to her self-titled debut album, her 2008 hit single ‘Love Story’, her first completely self-written album ‘Speak Now’, the crossover landmark of the ‘Red’ album and its follow-up ‘1989’ and her darker turn in ‘Reputation’. Elsewhere, you’ll find odes to ‘Lover’, the ‘folklore’ and ‘evermore’ eras, ‘Midnights’ and ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, plus the pioneering pursuit of re-recording her first six albums as ‘Taylor’s Version’s.
Not to miss
The whole trail is set to be a must-see for any casual or diehard Swiftie, but there are some real gems included that you shouldn’t miss. Alongside the awards, storyboards and instruments on display, the V&A also promises ‘unseen archival material’ that will take visitors on the superstar’s journey from her childhood to where she stands now as a pioneering, globally renowned household name.
Fashionistas will also love the 16 looks from across Taylor’s career, while there’ll be a dramatic edge brought to the exhibition thanks to designer Tom Piper and architect Alan Farlie, who’ve worked on turning the 13 stops on the trail from standard museum entries into theatrical installations complete with audio, visuals and set dressing inspired by the chapters in Swift’s songbook.
Dates
The trail will run for the rest of the summer, making it the perfect accompaniment to – or replacement for, if you weren’t able to grab tickets – the second leg of Swift’s Eras run in London in August. Immerse yourself in each of the 13 installations between July 27 and September 8.
Exhibition length
The exhibition will take you around the whole of the V&A’s permanent galleries, and the museum recommends carving out 60-90 minutes of your day to complete it. There’ll be plenty of Swift goodies to get stuck into and the usual gems of the museum to explore, plus the likelihood of queuing at peak times (12pm-3pm on weekdays and weekends), so prepare for it to take longer.
Reviews so far
Early reviews of the exhibition suggest it’s as good as it sounds. “This trail isn’t just for super-fans,” The Telegraph said of the new display. “It’s a seamless synergy of old and new that should delight anyone interested in how museums can imaginatively tell stories.”