Gelsenkirchen, a city in western Germany, is temporarily changing its name to “Swiftkirchen” in honor of Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour shows. The city’s mayor, Karin Welge, approved the proposal ahead of the popstar’s performance from July 17-19.
Taylor Swift is scheduled to perform three concerts in Gelsenkirchen, and thousands of her fans, known as ‘Swifties,’ are expected to attend. The city is preparing for the events by putting up signs with the new name, which translates to “Church of Swift.”
The decision to temporarily change the town’s name was made after a Taylor fan, Aleshani Westhoff of Emmerich, started a petition and wrote a letter to Mayor Velge about the matter.
According to an official release, Mr. Welge said in a letter to Westhoff, “Temporarily renaming Gelsenkirchen to ‘Swiftkirchen’ is a very good idea, which is why I am particularly glad that you can experience the short-term ‘renaming’ of Gelsenkirchen in Gelsenkirchen today live and up close.”
In addition, the first signage marking the entrance to the “Swiftkirchen” has also been installed on Ebertstrasse by Westhoff, the release says.
“Today is the first sign. We will install many more signs in highly busy places in Gelsenkirchen in the coming days,” said Markus Schwerdtmann, head of the city’s public relations department.
In addition, a “Taylor Swift Tram” from Boggstraße is already on the road and will create an eye-catching selfie format, the release says, while highlighting the red frames placed throughout the city.
Taylor Swift will also be awarded her own stone on the Gelsenkirchen Walk of Fame, which will also feature local celebrities such as football coach Rudi Assauer and writer Ilse Kibugis.
“There will be many small and big surprises, so that Swifties in Gelsenkirchen will have plenty to discover,” Mr Schwerdtmann said.
Not only that, the German city will also host “a big open-air Taylor Swift party”, named “Taylor Town”. It will include “a lot of offers related to the star (swap markets, karaoke, tattoos)”.
“As mayor, I am of course very happy that Taylor Swift, who is currently the most successful singer in the world, will perform three times in Gelsenkirchen. International attention will therefore return to our city immediately after Euro 2024,” Mayor Welge said in the official statement.
Taylor Swift is used to this kind of praise. At the start of the Eras Tour in March last year, Glendale, Arizona, was temporarily renamed “Swift City” in honor of the singer’s tour stop in the city.
