Taylor Swift exhibition will allow fans an ‘intimate encounter’

A new exhibition of Taylor Swift’s costumes and memorabilia will offer fans an “intimate, theatrical encounter”.

The V+A museum in London will open ‘Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail’ on Saturday (27.07.24), with 13 exhibits, a nod to the ‘Cruel Summer’ hitmaker’s favourite number, set up in carefully-chosen slots throughout the building, featuring iconic stagewear, archive photographs and other significant objects from the 34-year-old pop star’s lengthy career.

Senior curator of theatre and performance Kate Bailey said: “We can’t compete with the stadium tour.

“What we can offer is a more intimate, theatrical encounter.”

The trail begins with the ‘Lover’ era and sees Taylor’s costume from her music video for ‘The Man’ – an over-the-top versace outfit, wig and facial hair – housed between statues of the Roman goddesses Diana and Venus, with Valhalla mosaics, by male artists, in the background.

The ‘Reputation’ era section is housed in a room usually home to Antonio Canova’s sclupture The Three Graces, while the 1870s music room of Norfolk House is the setting for the ‘Speak Now’ display.

In a nod to the lyrics of ‘Love Story’, a period gown from the ‘Fearless’ tour is set on a Romeo and Juliet-style balcony, while the ‘Fortnight’ dress from Taylor’s most recent work ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ can be found beneath a staircase leading to the National Art Library, home to works by several famous poets.

Sister albums ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ are located in adjacent rooms, with a moss-covered piano and the knitwear from the ‘Cardigan’ music video, draped to appear discarded on the stool part of the display.

Appropriately for the ‘Midnights’ album and Taylor’s re-records of her earlier work – which all feature “From the Vault” previously-unheard tracks – the displays are housed in a texile vault usually closed to the public. These include magazine covers with the ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ hitmaker on the front, some of her vinyl covers, and other outfits, all accompanied by a soundtrack of her hits.