Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail Will Display The Singer’s Iconic Outfits at London’s V&A Museum

Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming exhibition, which will coincide with Swift’s second Wembley Stadium residency.

July 3, 2024

Taylor Swift may have already released a whole song about all the places she likes to visit in the British capital in 2019’s “London Boy,” but for those thinking of making the pilgrimage while in the city, it might be worth adding an extra stop: London’s V&A Museum.

As announced on July 1, 2024, London’s iconic V&A Museum is set to display outfits and accessories from Taylor Swift’s personal archive, from custom cowboy boots from her self-titled debut era to the costume she wore in the video for “Fortnight” from her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, as part of a new free exhibition called Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail.

Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail, the free exhibition, has been created to mark the sold-out success of Swift’s Eras tour in the United Kingdom, which includes a record-breaking eight nights at London’s Wembley Stadium. So between Camden Market, Highgate, and a night out in Brixton, Swifties visiting the city for the Eras tour might want to drop a pin in South Kensington — noticeably absent from her lyrics— to visit Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail. If that’s you, here’s everything you need to know about the exhibition.

What is Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail about?

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Taylor Swift’s different eras are about as iconic as the “All Too Well (10 Minute Ver.)” bridge or her teenage spiral curls at this point, so it makes sense that the theme of her world tour is what makes up the V&A’s Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail collection.

The exhibition, which will be presented as a trail throughout the V&A that fans can wander through and find, celebrates Swift’s almost two decades of work, from her costumes to her lyrics to her music videos and the legion of fans she’s picked up along the way.

“We are delighted to be able to display a range of iconic looks worn by Taylor Swift at the V&A this summer, each celebrating a chapter in the artist’s musical journey,” V&A senior curator Kate Nailey said in a release. “Taylor Swift’s songs, like objects, tell stories, often drawing from art, history, and literature. We hope this theatrical trail across the museum will inspire curious visitors to discover more about the performer, her creativity, and V&A objects.”

How many looks will be on display at the Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail exhibition?

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Well, 13, of course! What other number could an event dedicated to Taylor Swift choose? Drawing on inspo from her lucky number, 13 different looks will be found at the museum, chronicling her history and legacy as an artist. There will be nods to her debut country era as well as her most recent album and newest addition to her enormous Eras Tour. Each exhibit will spotlight Swift’s wide-spanning musical journey.

Considering Swift’s penchant for literary and historical references in her lyrics, the V&A is placing each iconic look in a spot in the museum that offers a thematic reference to the art and artifacts around it. A Reputation-inspired piece next to a Medusa head statue, maybe?