LIVE: Roaring crowd goes wild as Taylor Swift takes to stage in one of her trademark glittering bodysuits as star kicks off first show of sell-out UK Eras Tour in Edinburgh

Taylor Swift kicked off the UK leg of her sellout Eras Tour in style in Edinburgh – stepping out onto the stage in a trademark blue and gold sequin bodysuit to tell screaming fans: ‘What a way to welcome a lass to Scotland.’ The 34-year-old singer drove fans wild as she emerged at Murrayfield Stadium following a riotous warm-up from American pop-punk band Paramore.

Excitement built up to fever pitch with a two-minute countdown on the big screen before Taylor finally emerged from a stage which rose dramatically into the air in the middle of the stadium – prompting screams of hysteria. Taylor Swift kicked off the UK leg of her sellout Eras Tour in style in Edinburgh – stepping out onto the stage in a trademark blue and gold sequin bodysuit to tell screaming fans: ‘What a way to welcome a lass to Scotland.’

The 34-year-old singer drove fans wild as she emerged at Murrayfield Stadium following a riotous warm-up from American pop-punk band Paramore. Excitement built up to fever pitch with a two-minute countdown on the big screen before Taylor finally emerged from a stage which rose dramatically into the air in the middle of the stadium – prompting screams of hysteria. And in a nod to her Scottish audience, she gave backing dancer Kameron Saunders the opportunity to say ‘Nae chance!’ as she performed We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.

She later drove the Scottish fans wild after telling them lockdown-era album Folklore was inspired by their home country. In remarks reported by BBC News, she said: ‘There was so much TV, so much white wine, covered in cat hair. That was my reality. So I thought, ‘I’m going to create an imaginary world and escape into it’. ‘That was Folklore, and it was probably based online of videos I’ve seen of Scotland.’

She also told the adoring crowd earlier in the show: ‘My biggest regret is that I should have played in Scotland more. I should have brought every tour to Scotland. I can’t stop looking at the crowd…it’s captivating.’ Someone took the show as an opportunity to write their own Love Story – proposing to their partner at the show, and even catching the singer’s eye. She told the crowd: ‘I’m pretty sure someone just got engaged right now. They did! That’s amazing. That’s huge!’

All those crammed inside the stadium raised their arms into the air and activated special wristbands which sparkled whenever Taylor began singing. Clutching a sky blue guitar, Taylor hailed the Edinburgh crowd early in the show, telling them the concerts are the biggest in Scottish history. She said: ‘I’ve not been to Scotland for almost a decade and I wondered what’s it was going to be like but you know what you answered it before I even got on stage.

‘This concert is the most highly ticketed show in Scottish history.’ She then burst into huge hit Lover – the bombastic production values on show as the song ended with a shower of sparks raining down on the stage in front of a backdrop of a burning house.