Taylor Swift thrills Scottish food bank with generous donation

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Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

Taylor Swift has been thanked by a Scottish food bank charity after making a donation during her weekend of sell-out shows in Edinburgh.

The pop star kicked off the UK leg of her record-breaking Eras tour in the Scottish capital on Friday 7 June, performing three nights at Murrayfield Stadium to a total of around 220,000 fans.

The Edinburgh Food Project, which runs seven food banks in the city, said they had agreed not to reveal the value of Swift’s donation but said it would make a big difference.

The charity, which supports around 6,000 people each year, also applauded the “Shake It Off” singer’s “positivity” at a time when so many people are struggling to get by.

“We are thrilled that Taylor has decided to support the food banks and leave a lasting impact on Edinburgh,” Edinburgh Food Project director Bethany Biggar said.

“Things are really tough for a lot of people right now, so it is lovely to see someone like Taylor spreading such positivity.”

The charity also posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, thanking Swift “for supporting the food banks”, along with a link for people to make donations of £13.

Swift, who was born on 13 December, has said that 13 is her lucky number and often features it as an easter egg as she drops hints and clues to fans while sharing news about her music.

Following her three Edinburgh shows, it was estimated by city council leader Cammy Day that she had generated “tens of millions of pounds” for the local economy, as hundreds of thousands of Swifties flocked to see her perform.

“Edinburgh truly has given Taylor Swift and her hundreds of thousands of fans visiting the capital from across the globe this weekend a spectacular welcome,” he said.

“From everything I have seen so far the atmosphere across the city has been one of fun and celebration as Swifties travelled around having The Best Day until it was Time to Go home.

“And the event is expected to have injected tens of millions of pounds into our city’s economy.”

Last month, it was estimated that Swift’s eras tour, which will also take in dates in Liverpool, Cardiff and London, could generate close to a £1bn boost to the UK economy.

She will conclude the UK and European leg of her tour in London this August, after a further string of shows in Europe.

“Staging-wise, it is a spectacle,” The Independent’s Annabel Nugent wrote in her five-star review.

“If this was a film, it would be a Spielberg production. The effects, albeit big, are considered. Pyrotechnics are reserved for the venomous bite of “Bad Blood” and confetti doesn’t burst out of cannons, but is released in soft showers. Despite myself, I’m still bewitched when Swift appears to swan dives into a glistening pond of pixels.”

She concluded: “Nostalgia is a powerful thing and tonight, Swift uncorks bottles and bottles of it, spraying it like champagne on an obliging, adoring audience. It’s like mainlining dopamine for three hours straight.”

Read the full review here.

Additional reporting by Associated Press