During Taylor Swift’s recent concert in Edinburgh, fans caused noticeable ground tremors, as reported by the British Geological Survey (BGS). The seismic activity was detected up to four miles away from Murrayfield Stadium, where Swift performed over three consecutive nights as part of her Eras Tour. According to the BGS, significant seismic signals were registered during performances of “..Ready For It?’, ‘Cruel Summer’, and ‘Champagne Problems’ across all three evenings, with the most intense activity observed on Friday, June 7.
Seismographs placed around the city recorded vibrations peaking at 160 beats per minute during “..Ready For It?’, corresponding to approximately 80 kW of power—equivalent to the output of 10-16 car batteries. The Friday concert exhibited the highest ground movement, measured at 23.4 nanometres, slightly surpassing subsequent nights.
These seismic events were detected by highly sensitive instruments capable of picking up subtle ground movements from several kilometers away, though they were likely imperceptible outside the immediate vicinity of the concert. The BGS emphasized that while scientifically significant, these vibrations were unlikely to have been noticed by individuals not attending the event.
The first night of the concert set a new record for the largest stadium attendance in Scottish history, drawing nearly 73,000 fans, surpassing the previous record set by Harry Styles with 65,000 attendees. Swift’s Eras Tour is anticipated to become the highest-grossing tour of all time, spanning 22 countries across 152 dates.
In addition to breaking attendance records, Swift’s Eras Tour is expected to have a seismic economic impact, contributing an estimated £1 billion ($1.27 billion) to the British economy, according to research by U.K. bank Barclays. The financial boost extended not only to Edinburgh but to the entire country, underscoring the tour’s immense popularity and economic significance.
Over the concert weekend, Murrayfield Stadium saw unprecedented attendance as Swift delighted fans dressed in glitter for approximately 3½ hours each night from Friday through Sunday.