Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour kicked off with a boom at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on March 17, and Glendale temporarily became “Swift City” during her two-night stay.
The following weekend, her two-night stint at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas was marked by a donation from Swift to Nevada’s Three Square Food Bank. (Swift has been donating to food banks in every city her tour visits.) The tour hit Arlington, Texas for three nights at AT&T Stadium, so Randol Mill Road became Taylor Swift Way on March 31, April 1, and April 2. Last weekend, Swift was named temporary mayor of Tampa, Florida and given a key to the city.
And now, ahead of Swift’s The Eras Tour performances in Houston on Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22, NRG Stadium shall be known as “NRG Stadium (Taylor’s Version).” If you know, you know.
The temporary rebrand was announced by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Wednesday, April 19, and she impressively squeezed in some Swift song titles like Swift’s signature knack for well-placed Easter eggs:
I'm so excited to welcome you back to Harris County this weekend, @taylorswift13! Long story short, we've prepared quite a surprise for you. We hope your stay here will be beyond your wildest dreams! 🌌💫 @taylornation13 @nrgpark pic.twitter.com/DMs0hyjeRy
— Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) April 19, 2023
“Hi, Taylor. I’m Lina Hidalgo. I’m the county executive in Harris County, and I can’t wait to welcome you this weekend,” she says in the video. “I don’t want there to be any bad blood between us and your fans, so we’re pulling out all the stops. I know all too well that other areas have done huge things. They’ve lit up the town, they’ve renamed streets, they’ve even made you mayor for a day.”
It's Me. Hi. NRG Stadium (Taylor's Version) 👋 https://t.co/dGhkCFtirM
— NRG Park (@nrgpark) April 19, 2023
She continued, “But we’re gonna do something even better. I know if I did any of that, folks would say that I am the man. But here’s what we’re doing: Long story short, we’re renaming NRG Stadium, where you’ll be performing, to ‘NRG Stadium (Taylor’s Version).’ With the name change, I know it’ll never go out of style. And plus, it’s not only the young that enjoy your music. I hope your stay here is beyond your wildest dreams, and for everybody in Harris County, let’s get ready for it.”