Taylor Swift is beefing up security to protect herself, her show, and Travis Kelce as the Eras world tour continues.
In early May, Taylor performed in France, kicking off the European leg of her tour. Travis Kelce soon joined her.
Touring is expensive. And there’s more than just hotels, tour busses, and Taylor’s dedicated crew behind it.
According to industry experts, Taylor is paying a sizable fortune for a first-rate security team.
How much is Taylor Swift spending for security?
Even when one considers Taylor Swift’s usual security detail, she’s really stepping things up for her Eras world tour.
That’s smart. Her hyper-visibility and constant movements from place to place could be dangerous.
According to a new report by The US Sun, a top music industry source explained how Taylor has dropped $30 million on security just for the European leg of her tour.
According to the insider, “She is the biggest superstar on the planet. So, security has to be perfect for her and the entourage.”
The source went on to emphasize that Travis Kelce’s fame, largely thanks to being her boyfriend, means that he needs added security, too. Yes, he’s a big and strong man, but that alone isn’t always enough. Not at this level of fame.
Fortunately, the insider says that Taylor has hired more than 20 people who are “the absolute best at their jobs” to guarantee the safety of everyone on her team. The Eras tour’s European leg will conclude in London later this summer.
Taylor is sparing no expense for her, her entourage, and Travis’ security
According to the source, these security experts receive $1,100 per day.
By that math, that puts even the basic cost of hiring these personnel at $2 million for the tour’s 100 days. But there’s also more to it than that.
Security is more than just people. There are cameras, communication equipment, clothing, monitors, vehicles, and more.
Who could be a security threat to Taylor and Travis?
Aside from stars with dangerous exes, the first thing to come to mind with any celebrity security detail is stalkers.
Stalking comes in different forms. In this case, we’d be talking about someone who imagines a “relationship” with Taylor. This obsessed person would operate under a delusion that Taylor feels similarly obsessed with them, and that her words, actions, and songs are secret messages to them.
While such a person clearly needs help, this can be dangerous. They might do outlandish things (like shooting at a politician to “impress” Jodie Foster). And if they got face-to-face with the object of their fixation, rejection could send them spiraling and precipitate violence.
Robbery is always a grim possibility. Especially given Taylor Swift’s billionaire status.
In 2016, Kim Kardashian’s traumatic robbery in Paris changed her life forever. She’s more security-conscious now. And she wears less high-end jewelry. (All jokes about her ocean earring incident aside, that’s still a big deal)
Taylor doesn’t have a reputation for wearing expensive jewelry. But someone very dangerous and very desperate might consider the chance of extorting millions for her safe return to be worthwhile. Having a pricey security detail is Taylor’s way of showing them that they’d be fools to try it.
Could Taylor Swift be an ideological or political target? (Yes)
In early 2024, disgraced former president Donald Trump’s team prepared for “holy war” against Taylor Swift.
That might sound absurd — because it is. However, the potential threat is much more serious.
Remember, this is the man who sicced his followers on Congress itself in an attempt to usurp the 2020 election results. The man behind the most horrific attack on the federal government since 9/11 could easily do the same terrorism-by-proxy attack against a pop star.
All that it would take would be for one of the indicted former occupant of the Oval Office’s supporters to believe that he’s on a “mission” to eliminate Taylor Swift. Someone who’s spent the past six months or so grumbling about seeing Taylor on TV during football games would be a likely candidate.
That’s scary. And yes, it could still happen in Europe. Nationalists tend to be xenophobic. Even so, proto-fascist ideology sees kinship across borders and continents.
Fortunately, Taylor can afford the best protection. For herself, her crew, and for her boyfriend. Travis Kelce’s history of being a decent dude could absolutely make him a target. He’s just less famous than Taylor.