If your cup wasn't already full with a record-breaking worldwide Eras tour, a box office smash hit concert film, eleven studio albums and extensive merch, UK-based Taylor Swift fans now have an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum to attend as well.
Whether you like it or not, this is Taylor Swift's world and we're just living in it. In the past five years, the musical juggernaut has achieved ubiquitous stardom and her concerts have been so popular that fans have generated seismic activity and boosted local economies. It is hardly surprising, then, that cultural institutions like the V&A are taking notice.
The Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail exhibition aims to celebrate the artist in question by revisiting some of her most iconic looks. Don't worry, the team behind the exhibition made sure to seek out Taylor Swift experts in the curation process and even opened applications up to the general public (sorry, if you're reading this too late and kicking yourself).
If you're a die hard Swiftie or just curious about the power and influence one singer has managed to yield, then this exhibition is worth a visit. Here's everything you need to know.
When does the Taylor Swift exhibition start?
The Taylor Swift Songbook Trail exhibition kicks off on 27th July at the V&A museum in South Kensington, London. You can find the museum on Cromwell Road and the nearest tube is South Kensington station.
How much do tickets cost?
Taylor Swift fans who had to fork out hundreds of pounds to watch the Eras Tour can breathe a sigh of relief. This exhibition is free!
How long is the exhibition on for?
It will be on display across the V&A South Kensington’s permanent galleries from Saturday 27 July 2024 – Sunday 8 September 2024.
What does the Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail exhibition showcase?
As per the V&A website, the exhibition promises to be a winding journey through V&A South Kensington’s galleries to explore sixteen looks worn by the 14-time Grammy Award winning artist, Taylor Swift.
The theatrical trail will mark the success of Taylor Swift’s UK tour and celebrate the creativity of her costumes, lyrics and music videos as well as exploring the global phenomenon of the pop icon. Each of the 13 stops on the trail will showcase a chapter in the songbook of Taylor’s career and spotlight a particular era of her music and prolific songwriting.
Costume and accessories on loan from Taylor’s personal archive will be on display, from customised cowboy boots worn during her breakout success as a country singer in 2007, to the jet-black ruffled shoulder dress worn in the most recent music video for her single Fortnight (2024).
The costumes will sit alongside instruments, music awards, storyboards and previously unseen archive which will explore her childhood and recording legacy. Dive into the artist’s personal world and creativity, celebrating her ground-breaking impact on the world stage and the Swiftie fandom.
Each intervention will present some of Taylor’s most iconic looks in dialogue with V&A objects as well as the architecture of the museum.
Kate Bailey, senior curator of theatre and performance says: 'We are delighted to be able to display a range of iconic looks worn by Taylor Swift at the V&A this summer, each celebrating a chapter in the artist’s musical journey. Taylor Swift’s songs, like objects, tell stories, often drawing from art, history and literature. We hope this theatrical trail across the museum will inspire curious visitors to discover more about the performer, her creativity and V&A objects.'
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, covering TV, celebrity interviews, news and features.