Dublin gets ready for Love Story with Taylor Swift

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By Aoife Moore and Ashleigh Swan, BBC News NI

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Taylor Swift fans are getting ready to experience the sold-out Eras tour in Dublin.

The singer is bringing her tour to the Aviva Stadium in Ireland’s capital for three nights, beginning on Friday, with more than 150,000 Swifties in attendance.

It's been six years since Swift's last shows in Dublin.

The 152-date Eras tour has become the most lucrative set of concerts in history.

And its arrival in Dublin is not the only big event in the Irish capital over the weekend - Pride, Latitude Festival, the GAA football All-Ireland quarter-finals and Shania Twain will be attracting their own crowds to the city.

So what has Dublin been doing to prepare?

Taylor Swift concerts are so big that garda (Irish police) management declared the three days as an "extraordinary event".

Special measures are being implemented to ensure that there are enough gardaí (officers) to police the city.

The policing bill for five Garth Brooks concerts in Croke Park in 2022 came to €380,000 (£320,000), and it is expected policing Taylor Swift’s three nights will cost about the same.

In Belfast, about 300 fans were preparing to make their way to Dublin on buses on Friday morning.

Speaking to BBC News NI, Lucy Glover, 18, said she has been looking forward to the gig “for so long".

"It's been a landmark and now it's here," Ms Glover said.

Lauren Shannon said "it’s like Christmas".

Monique Uprichard, 23, who was wearing a Lover album inspired dress, said: “I had to plan for the outfit, it's Taylor Swift."

The economic impact of this global superstar is now known as Swiftonomics.

Last year’s US leg of the Eras tour was the first in history to make more than $1bn (£792m). Now, it’s estimated the international tour will increase that figure to as much as $4bn (£3.1bn).

The hugely-anticipated UK leg could generate close to a £1bn boost for the economy and the only Irish city on the tour is expecting to be a beneficiary of a boost too.

The only similar global star who has had a run in Dublin has been Garth Brooks.

An estimated 400,000 fans attended his five-night stint in Croke Park.

Dublin Chamber of Commerce estimates that tourists travelling to those concerts provided a €35m boost to the economy. Could Swift do the same?

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Dublin Chamber said the real benefit comes from those travelling from overseas.

Aebhric McGibney, its director of public and international affairs, said tourism will be the biggest beneficiary of the Eras tour.

“You can see people coming from all over the country to visit Dublin, and spend a bit of time here, which is fantastic.

"But the real economic impact comes from those who travelled from overseas and coming from Great Britain, Northern Ireland as far away as United States. And in general, the longer the person has to travel both the more time they'll spend here.”

Mr McGibney added that the 2,000 to 3,000 people who have come from the US “could easily spend a few thousand” euro each during their visit.

There are still hotel rooms available, some reaching more than €500 (£420) for one night, but there are still more pocket-friendly rooms available too.

Businesses around the Aviva and Dublin are planning on a bumper weekend with bottomless brunches, Taylor quizzes, and mug-making among the quirkier offerings.

The Bridge, a popular bar near the Aviva Stadium, has developed a Taylor Swift themed menu. The manager, Colm Ryan, said they are used to big events but none as big as Taylor.

“We always have rugby matches, Six Nations, things like that,” he said.

“And obviously a lot of concerts as well. We've had Pink and Rammstein both playing last weekend. But Taylor, she’s something on another level, the amount of people that come to support her is huge.

“She’s probably one of the biggest artists in the world right now.

“We've designed special cocktails this weekend named after a couple of her songs. So we have a Lavender Haze cocktail, and an Enchanted cocktail, along with slushies, you know, frozen daiquiris, I thought to go with the kind of stuff that hopefully weather permitting will fly out.”

Dublin Pottery Studio is running a Taylor-themed mug-making class for two nights, both of which sold out within an hour.

Manager Ciara Fullam said the idea came when most of their customers were painting their own Taylor Swift pottery regardless of the concerts.

“We noticed every weekend, people were painting Taylor Swift themes anyway,” she said.

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If you were lucky enough to secure tickets, there are some extra public transport services for the Taylor Swift concert.

Additional Dart train services, which operate around the Dublin city area, will be put on for all three nights.

Also 60 different bus routes from all over the country that have been approved by the National Transport Authority to provide dedicated services to the Aviva.

Translink has also announced it will be running special return train services from Northern Ireland.

The concerts coincide with a number of other events in the Dublin area such as Pride and Longitude, so public transport will be busy.

Aviva Stadium is relatively close to the centre of Dublin and for those able to do so, it may make more sense to do that part of the journey on foot.

The event promoter MCD has said gates to the Eras Tour open at 17:00 local time, however, some fans with early entry packages may be let into the venue from 15:00.

The show will then start at 18:00 with opening act Paramore.

Swift is then expected to begin her mammoth three-and-a-half hour set from about 19:00.

MCD has also warned that briefcases, bags, luggage or purses larger than a clutch bag are prohibited.

For those looking for merchandise, it is available at the 3Arena in Dublin's North Wall Quay until Sunday.

A number of other events will be taking place across the Republic of Ireland's capital, including: