Fans of Taylor Swift, known as “Swifties,” who attended the Eras tour in Edinburgh last weekend were so energetic in their dancing that it registered on seismic instruments up to 6km away. They outperformed fans of Beyonce, Harry Styles, and Bruce Springsteen in the intensity of their dance moves.
During Taylor Swift’s recent concerts in Scotland, enthusiastic fans were dancing so vigorously that they inadvertently triggered earthquake monitors, as reported by the British Geological Survey (BGS). The concerts, held last weekend at Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh, generated seismic activity up to six kilometers away. Each night, the crowd’s energetic response to Swift’s hit songs caused noticeable spikes in the seismic readings.
“Without a doubt, Friday night at the Eras concert was absolutely enchanting,” Lindsay Hempenstall shared. “Surrounded by a sea of love and happiness in the stadium, belting out songs with all our hearts alongside over 70,000 fellow fans and my nine-year-old daughter was just pure magic.”
Friday night in Scotland made history as the most attended show ever, with Taylor Swift calling it the most energetic way to welcome a girl to their city. The seismic activity spiked during the song “…Ready For It?” as fans danced in sync with the music.
The power generated by the enthusiastic “Swifties” dancing and stomping could charge 6,000 car batteries, equivalent to around 80 kilowatts according to BGS. BGS seismologist Callum Harrison noted, “Scotland’s reputation for having some of the most passionate audiences is well-deserved!”
The songs Cruel Summer, Champagne Problems, and Shake It Off were big hits at the three concerts, causing a lot of excitement. A fan named Bethan Bryan attended the Saturday night show and picked Shake It Off as her favorite song of the evening.
“It was incredibly loud!” she exclaimed. “It was awesome to hear everyone singing along. With 73,000 people belting out tunes for three and a half hours, the atmosphere was electric.”
Bryan also mentioned how she and her daughter enjoyed singing along to Taylor Swift’s performance from their window on Friday night. Even though they lived 1.5 miles away from the venue, Swift’s voice was crystal clear to them.
The Friday night concert was the most lively show, with Swifties causing a ground movement of 23.4nm, just beating out Beyonce, Harry Styles, and Bruce Springsteen. Despite registering on earthquake monitors, these three superstars were still outshined by the energetic dancers at Swift’s gig by nearly 10 nanometres. Mr. Harrison expressed amazement at being able to remotely measure the audience’s reaction through their data.
“It has been an exciting experience to investigate a seismic event caused by a unique phenomenon. The experts at BGS detected the concerts through their instruments, but the vibrations were probably only noticeable to those nearby, as per the organization’s assessment.”
It is estimated that Swift’s 15 concerts in the UK will have a positive impact on the economy, generating nearly £1 billion as fans spend money on tickets, lodging, transportation, and pre-concert festivities. Despite wrapping up her Scotland performances, Swift is now making her way to Liverpool, followed by shows in Cardiff and a grand finale at London’s Wembley Stadium for a total of eight nights spanning this month and August.
