Taylor Swift’s ERAS tour show triggers earthquake symptoms in Scotland

According to the British Geological Survey, the UK’s national earthquake monitoring agency, earthquakes were recorded up to four miles away during Taylor Swift’s three-night sold-out concert series in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Swift’s Eraser tour is also expected to provide a huge economic boost to London and the UK as a whole, with a study by British bank Barclays indicating it will bring an estimated £1 billion ($1.27 billion) to the UK economy.

Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium drew record crowds during the concert weekend, with the American megastar serenading glitter-clad fans for around three-and-a-half hours each evening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“This activity was primarily caused by fans dancing to the music, which peaked at 160 beats per minute (bpm) during ‘…Ready For It?’ with the crowd emitting approximately 80kW of power,” BGS wrote in its report, adding that this was “equivalent to approximately 10-16 car batteries.”

The BGS, which uses advanced scientific equipment sensitive enough to spot subtle seismic activity from miles away, said it detected vibrations from the stadium but that “the vibrations were likely not felt by anyone other than those in the immediate vicinity.”

Swift’s songs “Ready For It?,” “Cruel Summer” and “Champagne Problems” reportedly generated the most seismic activity each night, and despite chilly Scottish temperatures and occasional heavy rain, fans in the stands seemed determined to bear it and shake it off.

Friday’s concert was Swift’s first night in Edinburgh, drawing a crowd of around 73,000, making it the most attended concert in Scottish history, and each night thereafter beat the previous night’s record, culminating in Sunday’s biggest attendance in Scottish history.

“The Edinburgh show was amazing. Every night when I came on stage people would pull me aside and say, ‘You just broke the record for the biggest stadium attendance in the whole of Scotland,'” Swift told fans from the stage on Sunday.

“Thanks Edinburgh! This is literally the wildest way to get a girl to your city.”

City officials were well aware of Swift’s reputation as a booster for the local economy, and when tens of thousands of tourists flocked to the city for the concert weekend, local officials and businesses were prepared.

Edinburgh has set up an official online Taylor Swift Fan Hub and promoted a “Tailored Taste Trail” featuring more than 40 local businesses offering Swift-themed cocktails, pastries, bargains and activities to capitalize on the gold rush of international tourists.

“These sold-out shows brought huge, wide-ranging benefits to the city, not only contributing an estimated £77 million ($98 million) to the local economy, but also further enhancing our global reputation as a great place to live, work and visit,” Edinburgh City Council leader Cammy Day said in a post on the city’s official government website on Wednesday.

“I also want to pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Swifties whose actions have been exemplary in the eyes of all,” Day added.

Swift’s Eraser tour, which will play 152 shows in 22 countries over 21 months, has already broken records as the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, grossing over $1 billion in the first eight months. For comparison, the second highest-grossing show in the world, Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, made $939 million over five years.

The American singer-songwriter has a total of 15 shows lined up between June and August, including three dates in the UK – three nights in Liverpool, Scotland, one night in Cardiff, Wales, and eight nights at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Correction: BGS wrote in its report that the crowd’s power was “equivalent to 10 to 16 car batteries.” An earlier version misstated a description previously provided by the agency.