A man has been arrested on suspicion of stalking Taylor Swift ahead of her first performance in a series of three shows in Germany.
He was detained by German police after attempting to enter her concert in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday, authorities have confirmed.
The individual, who was in possession of a ticket for the show, was apprehended at the entrance to the Veltins-Arena following a tip-off from event organisers, according to reports from Fox affiliate WJW.
Police say that the man had made threats against Swift and her boyfriend, American football player Travis Kelce, on social media platforms. He will remain in custody until Saturday.
Authorities have not disclosed further details about the suspect or the incident.
Despite the security concern, Wednesday evening’s concert in Gelsenkirchen proceeded peacefully, with approximately 60,000 fans in attendance.
The city has embraced Swift’s arrival, temporarily renaming itself “Swiftkirchen” – roughly translating to “Swift’s Church” – and honouring the singer on a local “Walk of Fame”.
The name change was inspired by a petition started by ‘Swiftie’ Aleshanee Westhoff, which gained the support of Mayor Karin Welge.
Swift, performing at the Veltins Arena, home of Schalke 04 football club, greeted her German fans in their native tongue, saying: “Willkommen zur Eras Tour!” (Welcome to the Eras Tour!) and “Schön, euch zu sehen!” (Nice to see you!). She promised to return soon, noting it had been nine years since her last German performance.
Meanwhile, recent research from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies revealed that Swift’s Dublin concert created ‘seismic activity’ detectable up to 100km away.
These ‘Swiftquakes’ were most pronounced during her 2008 hit ‘Love Story’, with tremors reaching as far as Wexford.
The pop sensation is set to continue her German tour with upcoming shows in Hamburg and Munich.
