Why $1 million was spent on Taylor Swift concert security in UK

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concerts in London were a phenomenon for the fans but also a headache for the local police and administration, a new report has claimed. Marca has reported that the Metropolitan Police spent over $1 million to provide security for the singer and her concerts after she received threats. Her team’s refusal to settle for anything less made matters even more challenging. 

$1 million spent on Taylor Swift’s security
Taylor Swift performed in the UK as part of her The Eras Tour first in June and then again in August. Marca reported that the cost of her security was $85,000 per night in June but increased to $125,000 per night when she returned. This was largely due to heightened concerns for her safety after bomb plots were disrupted at Taylor’s concerts in Vienna.

The report says that Swift’s team, led by her mother and manager, Andrea Swift, demanded a blue-light police escort, complete with specialized outsiders.

The threat of cancellation
The financial burden of it all on the London police was high, and what made matters worse was the threat of a cancellation of the concerts. “Andrea wasn’t afraid to play hardball. She negotiated directly with government officials, pushing for the Met to make exceptions to its policies,” the report quoted a source as saying, adding that she even threatened to cancel the concerts. Eventually, the police department caved, given that a cancellation could have adversely affected the local economy and left fans disappointed, too.

Some critics have now said that Taylor should consider reimbursing some of the money spent by the London Metropolitan Police on her safety. Singer Harry Styles won hearts with the same gesture last year when he paid back $70,000 of the $275,000 spent on the security for his concert at Wembley.