So Long, London: Taylor Swift makes Wembley history at last UK show on tour

Taylor Swift has made Wembley Stadium history as she became the first solo artist to perform at the venue eight times in a single tour.

The pop superstar, 34, closed out the European leg of her Eras Tour on Tuesday with a packed show featuring special guests as she broke the record previously held by Michael Jackson for his Bad Tour in 1988.

She also treated fans to the first live rendition of her song So Long, London from her latest chart-topping 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, which is thought to reference her ex-boyfriend, British actor Joe Alwyn.

The last of her shows in London featured appearances from British group Florence + The Machine to perform their collaboration Florida!!!.

Her friend and long-term collaborator, music producer Jack Antonoff, joined her on stage for a rendition of Death By A Thousand Cuts from her 2019 album Lover.

The billion-dollar tour takes fans through her back catalogue, including hits from albums 1989, Red, Midnights and her latest chart-topping 11th studio album – The Tortured Poets Department.

Another surprise came when Swift debuted a new music video to I Can Do It With A Broken Heart from the new album, which features backstage footage of the singer during the tour.

The almost four-minute-long video features Swift’s background dancers and tour crew, alongside behind-the-scenes clips of how she travels under the stage between sets.

The track So Long, London is the fifth song on her latest album – the slot reserved for the most meaningful track on each of her albums.

Singer Florence Welch, 37, surprised Swift fans by arriving on stage to perform Florida!!! accompanied by an impressive light show.

The singers, who were both sporting white gowns, have been friends for many years, with Welch previously revealing she had sought relationship advice from Swift.

Welch shared pictures of the pair singing and hugging on-stage to her Instagram story, writing: “Thank you @taylorswift,” adding a black love heart.

Among those in the audience were the Haim sisters as well as Oscar-nominated British actress Emily Blunt and her husband, The Office star John Krasinski – who appeared to have brought their two daughters to the show.

It comes days after Ed Sheeran also surprised fans by making an onstage appearance.

The US hitmaker performed one verse of Everything Has Changed, which features Sheeran, before bringing out the Suffolk singer to rapturous applause from the crowd.

They blended the song with End Game, which they also collaborated on, and 33-year-old Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud, which marked the beginning of her “surprise songs”.

Security outside Wembley had been heightened during Swift’s latest string of London dates after three of her shows in Austria were cancelled over an alleged terror plot.

In July, Swift paid tribute to victims of the Southport attack in which three young girls were killed in a mass stabbing at a holiday club event themed on the singer.

She has nine dates left on her Eras Tour, which will take place in Canada from November 14, with her final show on December 8.

The final London show also marked the last opening performance for US rock band Paramore, with singer Gracie Abrams taking over for the last nine opening slots of the tour.

Brit Award winner Raye opened the final night of Swift’s London shows.

Sharing a Polaroid picture of her and Swift hugging on Instagram, Raye wrote: “So grateful to open for @taylorswift.”

The 26-year-old added: “Thank you @taylorswift for everything, you’re the loveliest, sweetest human and I am so grateful.”

She also shared a picture of her holding a note from Swift, which read: “Raye, I am such a massive fan of yours and have been for years.

“I can’t believe my luck that you said ‘yes’ and are joining us for such an important night on the Eras Tour, our last night at Wembley.”