Julia Roberts, Travis Kelce, Graham Norton and rugby stars among celebrity fans at Taylor Swift’s Aviva concert – The Irish Times

Whether you won the Taylor Swift lottery or not, the reigning Queen of Pop was hard to avoid this weekend. She played three triumphant concerts at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, spreading enormous joy. Were you one of the lucky 150,000 fans who got to see Taylor in person? If so, you were in famous company, joining the likes of Julia Roberts, Stevie Nicks, Graham Norton and Swift’s sports star boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

There were many Irish celebrities out and about on Friday.

Also in attendance were Cork-born TV presenter Norton and radio presenter Ryan Tubridy, who has just returned from London. Both men bravely wore the ultimate Swiftie fan accessory: friendship bracelets.

Norton posted a photo on Instagram of his right arm covered in some colorful bands.

( Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour isn’t just a concert, it’s a love story – and Dublin said yes )

Tubs, meanwhile, posted a concert clip online, saying it was a “stadium full of love.” He also posted a photo of himself wearing friendship bracelets with the caption: “So this is happening.”

Former Irish rugby internationals Brian O’Driscoll, Johnny Sexton and Rory Best were also in attendance at the gig.

O’Driscoll was accompanied by his wife, actor and writer Amy Huberman, while Sexton was present with his wife Laura Sexton and their children. Best was present with his wife Jodie Bell.

Sexton shared a photo online of himself holding hands with his daughter as they walked into the packed stadium, with the caption “this is retirement.”

Amy Huberman posted a photo of former rugby internationals Sexton, O’Driscoll and Best, saying: “They were quick enough in the Aviva themselves, you say”.

Over the weekend, a host of other Irish and global celebrities headed to the Aviva to see Swift in action, including golfer Shane Lowry, who was in attendance with his wife Wendy Lowry and their daughter, Westlife star Nicky Byrne, Virgin Media presenter Karen Koster, Ireland AM star Muireann O’Connell, former RTÉ 2FM presenter Doireann Garrihy with her fiancé Mark Mehigan, and Six O’Clock Show presenter Katja Mia.

Arguably more notable stars in the VIP tent at Sunday’s show included Hollywood actress Julia Roberts, the man who won the Super Bowl (aka Travis Kelce – aka Swift’s boyfriend), and Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks.

Swift reacted sweetly when she saw Kelce on stage on Sunday, during her song August.

She also sang Clara Bow, as Nicks is referred to in the lyrics, live for the first time on Sunday. Swift said she wanted to sing it because Nicks was there.

Local slang by its dancers

One of Swift’s dancers, Kameron Saunders, who is known for using local slang in place of the phrase “like ever!” in the recorded version of We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together depending on the city the tour is playing in, delivered a few bangers to the Dublin crowd, including “póg mo thoin” on Friday night.

On Saturday night Saunders screamed “the neck of ye” and on Sunday he said “bleedin’ eejit”.

Saunders also posted a video lip syncing the original audio to “the neck of ye,” which went viral a while ago, to his Instagram stories after the concert.

Clara O’Sullivan, an eight-year-old girl from Ladysbridge in Co Cork, was at the Eras tour with her aunt Stephanie Skierka on Sunday night when a member of Swift’s team approached them halfway through the concert and asked if they wanted to join her.

O’Sullivan was then led onstage as Swift sang her hit song, “22,” which also happens to be O’Sullivan’s favorite song. Swift gave her a hat she was wearing and signed it, a tradition that takes place at each concert on the tour for a lucky fan who is chosen.

“We were dancing so after a song, Love Story, I got picked and then I was like, no idea what was going on, and then I just got the hat,” said O’Sullivan, speaking with P.J. Coogan was speaking on Cork’s 96FM Opinion Line on Monday morning.

The hat, signed by Swift, reads: Taylor Swift Dublin Eras Tour 2024.

Her aunt, Skierka, said O’Sullivan hasn’t taken off the hat since she got it. When Skierka suggested putting it in a glass box, O’Sullivan immediately said, “No,” because she wants to show it to her friends.

Locally produced gloves

Irish glove designer Paula Rowan, meanwhile, said she is “delighted and truly honoured” that Taylor Swift has chosen to wear her white Aida leather gloves for the Tortured Poets Department leg of her Eras tour.

The designer, whose business is based in the Westbury Mall off Balfe Street in Dublin, says she is very grateful to Swift for attracting her designs.

“Taylor Swift is one of the world’s best-selling artists with an enormous reach and influence across both the music industry and popular culture. As an artist, businesswoman and philanthropist, she is truly an inspiration and role model to all. Thank you to everyone involved.”

Swift isn’t the only superstar to wear gloves designed by Rowan; Madonna, Cher, Beyoncé and Dua Lipa also wear her creations, which are handmade in Italy. Her gloves have also been worn in the HBO series And Just Like Like That starring Sarah Jessica Parker.

The Dublin designer also provided gloves for Lady Gaga when she starred in the House of Gucci. Her pieces have also been worn by Kate Middleton, Helen Mirren and Kate Moss.

The glove designer designed her first glove collection fifteen years ago and describes her creations as ‘couture for the hands’.

Taylor arrives

But where is Taylor now? Aviation enthusiasts were thrilled with her arrival in Ireland on Thursday, but her departure date is still unclear.

On Thursday evening, aviation enthusiast Shaun Dunne posted from his X account, formerly Twitter, @shauns_aviation that he would be going plane spotting around 12pm on Friday and would probably be listening to Taylor Swift music.

And he did just that by posting a video of the airport viewing area Friday morning, with Swift’s hit Shake it Off playing in the background.

At 12:16 p.m., Dunne tweeted that “she’s down.”

Additionally, an account on social platform Bluesky called Taylor Swift’s Jet’s (Tracking) confirmed Dunne’s suspicion that it was in fact Swift’s jet, posting that her plane landed at 11:56 a.m., after arriving at approximately 11 a.m.

Eras tour dancers land early

Before the arrival of Swift herself, some of her dancers were in Dublin.

One of the Eras tour dancers, Sam McWilliams, posted an Instagram story about him at a Troye Sivan concert on Wednesday evening, which looked suspiciously similar to the Troye Sivan concert that took place that evening at the 3Arena in Dublin.

Typically, many artists wait until they leave a city or country before posting about it. Unless you’re McWilliams, of course, who clearly loves Sivan and wanted to share it right away with his astute followers who are keen to follow Swift’s every move.

Kameron Saunders, another of Swift’s higher-profile dancers, also posted an Instagram story of Benjamin Williams, a dancer on tour with Troye Sivan, expressing gratitude that Saunders had come to the concert. Saunders reposted the story, a photo of the pair, and said that “the whole concert was WILDDDDD.”

Celebrities flock to London

Swift arrived in Dublin fresh from her three-night stint at London’s Wembley Stadium last weekend, which was also attended by an almost ridiculous number of celebrities.

Who among you went to see Swift at Wembley last weekend? And Don’t Blame Me, but this list is long:

Travis Kelce, American football player who won the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs but also happens to be Swift’s boyfriend, was not only present at all three shows in Wembley, but also performed on stage as a dancer on Sunday.

Prince William also attended her concert with his two eldest children and met up with Swift and Kelce afterwards, with Swift posting a photo on Instagram.

What probably attracted more attention, however, are King’s future dance moves captured on video during the concert. But look, at least he was enjoying it.

Tom Cruise, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and Hugh Grant were also reportedly spotted at Wembley on Saturday night.

Barbie director Greta Gerwig was also there, according to reports.

On Friday, Galway native Nicola Coughlan, star of Derry Girls and Bridgerton, was in attendance, as were her fellow actors Salma Hayek and Leslie Mann.

Zara and Mike Tindall, Erin Andrews, Charissa Thompson and Stella McCartney were also there.

Labour leader Keir Starmer, model Cara Delevingne and Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness were also spotted at the concert on Friday.

American actress Rachel Zegler, known for her roles in West Side Story and the prequel to The Hunger Games, also attended the concert on Saturday and posted a message on X afterwards.

The Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth is also said to be attending Wembley.

Ellie Goulding and Gracie Abrams – who released the song Us with Swift on Friday, June 21 – were present on Sunday.

Veteran rock stars Paul McCartney and Jon Bon Jovi were also spotted at the concert on Sunday.

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