Taylor Swift concerts and fans have been in a dramatic whirlwind of terror and death in recent weeks, leaving those at her latest performance thrilled that fellow pop star Ed Sheeran made a surprise appearance.
On August 15, when the American singer was performing in London, Sheeran hopped on the Wembley stage to sing a duet of both “Everything Has Changed” and “End Game,” along with his own hit single “Thinking Out Loud.” Swift resumed her Eras Tour this week after suspending multiple concerts due to a slew of deadly violence and a failed terror plot.
The two artists have been friends for years, having collaborated professionally numerous times and maintained a positive relationship outside of work. Sheeran was reportedly planning to be at the Wimbley concert to support Swift after an intense few weeks of violence with ties to her performances.
The uplifting guest appearance was especially powerful in the aftermath of the tragic murders of three young children at a Swift-themed school event and a foiled terrorist plot. On July 29, Southport, England—and the entire country—was shaken by the worst attack on children in recent history.
Three young kids—six-year-old Bebe King, nine-year-old Alice Aguiar, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe—were stabbed to death after a 17-year-old suspect went off on a rampage at a local school dance. At the time, Swift expressed her “shock” at the news, saying her heart goes out to all the families, victims, and responders to the attack. She also said that she was “at a complete loss” about how to adequately sympathize with those involved.
The following week, the singer cancelled three concerts set to be performed in Vienna, Austria. This sudden cancellation was due to an apparent terrorist plan. Police reportedly upended the plans and arrested two individuals—one of whom was pledged to ISIS—who were linked to plans to attack big events held in the city, including the Eras Tour performances.
At the time of the arrests, authorities were still looking for more people who were connected to the plot.
