Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour has been incredibly successful in terms of ticket sales, but her recent concerts in Edinburgh, Scotland, took things to a new level. Fans at her shows generated seismic activity due to their intense dancing, with the vibrations being felt up to four miles away from the venue. According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), three songs in particular – “…Ready For It?” “Cruel Summer” and “champagne problems” – consistently caused the most seismic activity during each of the three Edinburgh concerts.
The song “…Ready For It?” in particular, with its loud bass beat and high tempo, was found to be the perfect trigger for the seismic shakes. The crowd at the Murrayfield Stadium transmitted about 80 kilowatts of power, which is equivalent to the power created by 10 to 16 car batteries. The concert held on Friday, June 7, showed the most seismic activity, with the ground indicating 23.4 nanometers of movement. While the seismic activity was strong enough to be picked up by monitoring stations miles away from the venue, only those in the immediate vicinity of the stadium likely felt the Earth shaking.
This is not the first time that a crowd at a Taylor Swift concert has caused seismic activity. In a 2011 NFL playoff game, Seattle Seahawks fans caused shaking that registered on a seismometer, earning player Marshawn Lynch the nickname “Beast Quake.” Similarly, during her Eras Tour concert in Seattle in July, vibrations from the crowd were recorded on a seismometer, surpassing the original Beast Quake in strength and duration. Swift has also created seismic activity during her concerts in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, with a California Institute of Technology research team recording vibrations generated by the 70,000 fans in attendance.
The seismic activity generated by Swift’s concerts is a testament to the enthusiasm and energy of her fans, who dance and sing along with fervor. Despite the ground-shaking potential of these events, there is no cause for concern in terms of safety or structural damage. Scientists and researchers are intrigued by the phenomenon and continue to study the effects of large crowds on seismic activity. Swift’s ability to create such excitement and energy among her fans is a testament to her talent as a performer and her dedicated fan base, known affectionately as Swifties. The combination of powerful music, engaging performances, and enthusiastic fans has resulted in record-breaking ticket sales and unforgettable concert experiences.
