Taylor Swift’s childhood items to go on show at V&A

Taylor Swift is getting her own exhibition at the V&A Museum in London this summer.

The show – titled Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail – will feature costumes, awards and items from her childhood – with many on display for the first time.

The temporary exhibition will be made up of different stops on a tour, each showcasing a moment in Swift’s 20-year music career, taking visitors on a journey through the permanent galleries at the museum.

Many of the objects are on loan from Taylor Swift’s own personal archive.

Swift is currently travelling the world with her Eras Tour, bringing an economic uptick and even seismic activity to the areas she visits.

Songbook Trail will feature 16 looks worn by Swift, which will sit alongside music awards, storyboards and previously unseen items from Swift’s archive which will explore her childhood and recording legacy, according to the V&A.

Among the items will be customised cowboy boots worn by Swift during 2007’s Soul2Soul II Tour, as well as the black ruffled dress worn in her recent music video for Fortnight, the first single from The Tortured Poets Department.

The exhibition promises visitors a chance to see costumes and archival material up close.

The installations have been designed by Tom Piper, whose other projects include the V&A’s 2021 exhibition Alice: Curiouser And Curiouser.

Swift’s worldwide domination is currently being compounded with her billion-dollar Eras Tour which features songs from albums including 1989, Red and Midnights, and her new double-album, The Tortured Poets Department.

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It’s travelled through the Americas, Asia and is now in Europe, with celebrity attendees including the Prince of Wales and his children, Hollywood star Tom Cruise and Fleabag favourites Andrew Scott and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Swift’s American football star boyfriend, Travis Kelce, also joined her on stage at one of her Wembley Stadium shows.

Kate Bailey, the V&A’s senior curator, theatre and performance, said: “We are delighted to be able to display a range of iconic looks worn by Taylor Swift at the V&A this summer – each celebrating a chapter in the artist’s musical journey.

“Taylor Swift’s songs – like objects – tell stories, often drawing from art, history and literature.

“We hope this theatrical trail across the museum will inspire curious visitors to discover more about the performer, her creativity and V&A objects.”

Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail opens on the 27 July at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, southwest London, and entry is free.