Ed Sheeran joins Taylor Swift on stage for London return after Southport heartbreak

Successful return comes amid heightened security measures

Ed Sheeran made a special appearance at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour as it made a triumphant return to London on Thursday (15 August) in a concert of high emotion.

The “A Team” singer joined Swift for the acoustic section of her performance as they sang two of their collaborations, “Everything Has Changed” and “Endgame”, before Sheeran broke out for a solo rendition of his hit “Thinking Out Loud”.

The “Cruel Summer” star teased the audience before bringing out the special guest, leading to deafening screams from the crowd.

Swift began her record-breaking London tour with the first of eight dates back in June, returning this month for a further five performances. The events are expected to bring a staggering £1bn to the UK economy.

But the return of the history-making solo residency came amid the heartbreak and horror of the deaths of three young fans in Southport, who were killed at a Swift-themed dance class.

Meanwhile, police arrested three teenagers for terrorism in Austria, foiling a plan to attack a concert venue where she was due to perform.

August shows in Vienna were cancelled, making Thursday’s Wembley concert the return of the Eras Tour to the stage. The pop star did not address either of the events, instead kicking things off by saying, “Oh hi London”, and admitting her “mind went blank” when she first greeted the crowd, comparing it to a “love system overload”.

The concert was subjected to an enhanced security protocol. Measures included the prohibiting of overnight camping, limits on bag size, and a ban on laptops, iPads, aerosols, umbrellas, glass or metal containers.

Taylor Swift performs on stage with surprise guest Ed Sheeran as her Eras Tour concert returns to Wembley Stadium (Natasha Leake/PA) (PA Wire)

Additionally, ticketless supporters were unable to congregate outside the arena on show day, thwarting a usually common practice among fans known as “tay-gating”.

Data released by Barclays predicts that these shows will provide a £997m uplift for the UK, with spending by Swift ticket-holders more than 12 times higher than the average cost of a UK night out (£67).

(Getty)

She thanked the 92,000-strong audience for making the effort to attend, and will be back for four remaining dates at Wembley Stadium to round out the European leg of the tour which will pick up again in Toronto in November.

The enthusiasm of Swift’s fans and a set list that includes more than 40 songs from all phases of her career have helped make the Eras Tour the biggest revenue earner of all time.

Additional reporting by Associated Press