Cardiff Eras gig begins with Welsh greeting

Taylor Swift made her fans’ Wildest Dreams come true in Cardiff on Tuesday night as she greeted them in Welsh.

The 34-year-old kicked off her much anticipated show in Wales with a smattering of hit tracks such as Cruel Summer, before trying her hand at the language.

“Shwmae,” Swift told the sell-out crowd at the Principality Stadium as she struggled to be heard above the screams.

“Croeso i daith Eras,” she added, which means: “Welcome to the Eras Tour.”

“This is my very first time getting to play a show in Wales and look at this,” the singer continued.

“You’ve got 67,000 people in here, this is ridiculous. Thank you Cardiff.”

She continued the only single-date concert of her mega-selling 152-date Eras Tour by continuing the tradition of giving a young Swiftie the hat she wears during her rendition of the track 22.

A young female fan was plucked from the crowd and gave Taylor a hug and double high five before the superstar placed the hat on her head and continued playing.

This was followed by We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, with Swift’s dancer Kam exclaiming, “ych a fi” (meaning disgusting) during one exchange with the singer.

This was met with a huge cheer from fans who were anticipating a regional version of the lyric, other earlier tour examples having included “nae chance” in Edinburgh and “jog on lad” in Liverpool.

Beginning the Folklore segment of the concert, she said she started writing the album of the same name two days into the Covid pandemic.

Before launching into the song Betty she hinted that Welsh folklore was part of the inspiration for the LP’s creation, centring as it does around a “woman wandering through nature”.

“Somewhere in the Welsh countryside, somewhere beautiful,” Swift added.

She then moved onto Evermore, the sister album to Folklore, singing Champagne Problems.

At one point, the Cardiff Swifties brought the house down with cheers.

So much so that Swift stood stunned for more than two minutes while fans yelled her name.

When she could finally get a word in, she said: “This crowd is one for the books – this is different.”

During the final song from The Tortured Poets Department segment of the show Swift’s dancer Kam counted her in Welsh, saying: “Un, dau, tri, pedwar.”

Fans had eagerly speculated whether Swift might air her recent lyrics referencing famous Swansea-born poet Dylan Thomas for the surprise songs.

But, grabbing her guitar she instead sang I Forgot That You Existed mashed up with This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.

Then, accompanying herself on piano, she sang a song she has “never played live before” called I Hate It Here.

She combined this with the 2020 track The Lakes.

Bringing the concert to an end, Swift said: “Diolch o galon” [Thank you from the heart] and then sang the final song, Karma.

It was the show Swift’s fans – many of whom had arrived in Cardiff the day before – had wanted and waited to see.

Exhaustively spanning some 40-plus songs and 10 albums it is unlikely anyone went home wanting more.

Although, had you asked them, most would have wished for a second or possibly third night in the capital to have featured on their idol’s tour itinerary.

“It was incredible. Best thing ever,” said Swiftie Madi Kirk, 19, from Devon.

“She was sparkling,” she added.

“It was insane,” said her 19-year-old friend Maddi Whitely, also from Devon “Amazing. All of it, the whole thing.”

Nine-year-old Elin, from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, said: “Enchanted was really good, with all the flowers going out on her dress.”

“The production was great, all the songs were great,” said another fan, Helena.

“It out-did any concert I’ve seen.

“We loved the whole thing, but Folklore for life.”