Did Taylor Swift's Cardiff show drop major new album clues?

As the only city in the entire 152-date Eras tour to get just one show, Cardiff always felt a bit special for Taylor Swift fans.

"Cardiff is one for the books. This is different," the superstar told a crowd of thousands who bagged tickets to the Principality Stadium on 18 June 2024.

Swift's supporters, known as Swifties, have long enjoyed finding so-called Easter eggs - clues that could point to something else she has planned – in her lyrics, interviews, social media posts and live concerts.

Swift herself has spoken of her enjoyment in leaving these crumbs – and making them more complex as the years have gone on.

And now, less than a week until the launch of Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, fans worldwide believe Cardiff may have contained key clues about her newest project.

Here's why.

Cardiff was the only city on the Eras tour where Taylor Swift played just one show

Cardiff Bay snaps

In November 2024, Swift released a photobook filled with Eras tour moments, including one of her sat in the "cleaning cart" she was known to enter each venue in.

Much to the excitement of her eagle-eyed Welsh fans, behind her in the cart was a photograph of Cardiff Bay.

Some said she had subtly hinted this would be the case when she told the 67,000-strong Cardiff crowd they were "one for the books".

But months later, when the tour came to a close in Vancouver, Swift posted another photo of herself in the cart.

Once again, in the background was an image of Cardiff Bay - only this time it was in the form of a painting, by Welsh artist Rachel Rasmussen.

To fans, this suggested the Cardiff concert held more meaning than any other date of the tour.

"I didn't know what an Easter egg was," admitted Rachel, who said she had since become a Swiftie and swotted up on the fan theories.

Rachel Rasmussen says featuring in Taylor's photo turned her into a Swiftie

Rachel said being a small business was probably part of the appeal for Swift, and said the colour scheme for her new album was "probably in some of the colours I used in my painting as well".

"Maybe I'm overthinking it, but you never know, she does have an attention to detail and she does want to excite her fans," said Rachel.

"Wales is a small country and we fight as Welshies to try and be recognised, so recognition not only for me as an artist but for Wales as the land of song… it's amazing."

Those digging a little deeper for the clues noticed the picture of Cardiff was on slide eight of Swift's Instagram post - and the announcement of her new album then came in August, the eighth month of the year.

Superfan Charlotte Dykes, who works at a Swift-themed shop and cafe on Anglesey, said: "For ages, we thought [the Cardiff Bay pictures] were so random, she must really like Wales.

"Only now we realise the Cardiff show… was maybe an Easter egg all along."

Show 103

Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announced their engagement a few days after she appeared on his podcast to reveal the new album

As well as being the only city out of more than 50 to get just one night of the Eras show, Cardiff was also the 103rd show of the tour.

After announcing her new album on her fiancé Travis Kelce's podcast New Heights in August, Swift revealed it would be released on 3 October – or 10/3 in US date order.

Charlotte, 30, said the level of detail in Swift's signposting was "crazy".

"Does she have a PDF that she goes by," she joked. "I'd love to ask her how she remembers… I want to see her notes."

Orange and green

The orange and green outfit debuted at Cardiff may have been foreshadowing of the new album's colour scheme, fans say

When Swift wore a brand new skirt and top combination for the first time during the 1989 section of the Cardiff gig, many fans assumed she'd gone for red and green to match the Welsh flag.

But, in some lights, the skirt looked much more orange.

When the orange and green album artwork for The Life Of A Showgirl was revealed in August, many asked if the Cardiff outfit had actually revealed the new album's colour scheme for the very first time.

Swift also wore an orange dress during her acoustic segment in Cardiff – also known as the surprise songs.

And eagle eyes have now spotted that the flashlight wristbands provided to attendees - which changed colour throughout the show - were displaying a green light during this same set.

Swift wore orange during the acoustic segment of her Cardiff show, while fans wristbands lit up in green

Then on 13 July – one month before the new album announcement – Taylor Nation, an official fan club known to assist in Swift's marketing, posted a picture of Swift wearing an orange dress to Instagram as part of a social media trend where people say why they're looking happy.

It was a celebration of Swift buying back the rights to her first six albums.

That picture was taken in Cardiff and was featured in Swift's own Cardiff wrap-up on Instagram the previous year.

'Where all the poets went to die'

As one of very few parts of the show to change each night, the surprise songs were a huge topic of discussion for Swifties throughout the Eras tour, with many trying to guess which songs she would sing at which venue.

As the Cardiff show came less than two months after the release of her album The Tortured Poets Department, which referenced Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, some thought Swift would sing the title track in Wales.

Others wondered if she might pay homage to Wales' many castles, or find another link.

So it was a surprise when she selected The Lakes, which featured the lyric: "Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die."

Now with the benefit of hindsight, it's been suggested this line was a clue that The Tortured Poets Department era was being brought to a close, making way for the new album.