Gelsenkirchen in Germany to Temporarily Rename Itself Swiftkirchen for Taylor Swift's Concert
In Germany, the local authorities of Gelsenkirchen decided to celebrate The Eras tour of American singer Taylor Swift and changed the name of the town for the duration of the concert. In July, Gelsenkirchen will be temporarily renamed Swiftkirchen, Der Spiegel reports.
The idea was initiated by a fan of the singer, schoolgirl Aleshaanee Westhoff from Emmerich. She created a petition with a proposal to temporarily rename the town. The mayor of Gelsenkirchen, Karin Welge, supported the initiative and expressed her gratitude in a letter, calling the idea a great one.
New signs with the name "Swiftkirchen" will be installed in the city centre to welcome tens of thousands of fans who will attend the concerts on 17, 18 and 19 July.
In addition, a Taylor Swift tram has been launched in the city, and the musician will receive her own star on the Walk of Fame in the Bür district, alongside celebrities such as Schalke's Rudy Assauer and writer Ilse Kibgis. During Taylor Swift's concerts, the city organises an open-air Taylor Town party with karaoke.
In the near future, additional signs with the new name of the city will be installed in the most visited places of Gelsenkirchen, promised the spokesman of the mayor's office, Markus Schwartzman.
Taylor Swift's concerts in Gelsenkirchen will be the start of her German tour and will take place in the Felts Arena. Up to 70,000 fans are expected there every night. The city itself is home to about 260,000 people, so the organisers expect people from other cities to come to the concert. The singer's next concerts are scheduled for Hamburg and Munich.
