German city temporarily renamed in Taylor Swift’s honour ahead of Eras Tour gigs

Schoolgirl Aleshanee Westhoff shows a ‘Swiftkirchen’ sign in honour of musician Taylor Swift in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)

The Swifties are about to take over the German city of Gelsenkirchen, where American superstar Taylor Swift is set to perform at three Eras Tour concerts later this month.

In honour of the singer, the city has renamed itself Swiftkirchen – at least temporarily – to welcome the tens of thousands of fans who are expected to come for her shows on July 17, 18 and 19, German news agency dpa reported.