A man has been detained on suspicion of stalking Taylor Swift ahead of her first concert in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, as part of her highly anticipated Eras Tour. The arrest followed tips from event organizers and occurred just before the pop star performed in front of a crowd of 60,000 fans at the Veltins Arena on July 17.
According to local police, the 34-year-old man, originally from the United States, had previously made threats against Swift and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, on social media. Authorities decided to take the threats seriously and acted swiftly to ensure the safety of the singer and the concert attendees. “As the first investigations could not completely rule out that he presented a danger, the suspect was identified and detained at the access control before the concert,” the Gelsenkirchen police said in a statement.
The concert went as planned, with Swift performing to a packed stadium without further incidents. The American superstar greeted her German fans in their native language, saying, “Willkommen zur Eras Tour!” (Welcome to the Eras Tour!) and “Schön, euch zu sehen!” (Nice to see you!), which was met with enthusiastic cheers from the audience. She continued in English, promising, “It won’t be that long before I return.”
The suspect remains in custody and will be held until Saturday to prevent any potential danger. This incident is not the first time Swift has faced issues with stalkers. During her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour, she implemented facial recognition technology to keep stalkers away, showing the lengths her team goes to ensure her safety.
In a related event, Gelsenkirchen temporarily renamed itself “Swiftkirchen” to honor Swift’s visit. The idea came from a local fan, Aleshanee Westhoff, who suggested the name to the city’s mayor and started a petition a few weeks ago. The town also honored Swift on a “Walk of Fame” commemorating local celebrities. Mayor Karin Welge expressed her gratitude to Westhoff for her “great idea” in a letter accepting the proposal.
Swift’s concerts in Germany are part of her record-breaking Eras Tour, which has seen her perform across North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. After Gelsenkirchen, Swift plans to perform in Hamburg and Munich, drawing large crowds and continuing to make headlines.
The excitement surrounding Swift’s tour has been immense, with her recent concert in Dublin creating seismic activity that was detected up to 62 miles away. Researchers from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies set up 21 seismometers outside the Aviva Stadium. They found that during her performance of the 2008 hit “Love Story,” the seismic waves generated by the crowd could be felt far away. Eleanor Dunn, a Ph.D. candidate involved in the study, remarked, “Amazingly, we’ve been able to measure the reaction of thousands of Swifties through our data… seismicity happens every day without us knowing.”
The Eras Tour began over a year ago in the United States and has been a phenomenal success, with fans eagerly awaiting each performance. The concert in Gelsenkirchen marked Swift’s first performance in Germany in nine years, and the enthusiasm was palpable. Swifties from all over the country flocked to see their idol, filling the stadium and singing along to every song.
