Anfield goes under stadium transformation ahead of Taylor Swift's arrival in Liverpool

Anfield has been transformed as Liverpool prepares to welcome pop princess Taylor Swift to the city for a series of blockbuster shows - including the Eras Tour's 100th date.

Liverpool has a rich musical history as the birthplace of The Beatles, with its inhabitants having written more No. 1 songs than any city on the planet. However, the arrival of the American chart-topper on Merseyside is inspiring anticipation seldom seen since the days of the Fab Four in the city.

When the 'Anti Hero' hitmaker descends on Anfield for her three nights in L4 on June 13, 14 and 15, it is clear that a unique Liverpool welcome will await the singer. Now, pictures of the stage being constructed on the hallowed turf at the famous old stadium have emerged as the final preparations continue for her arrival.

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Cranes have towered over the iconic ground in the city's suburbs, with the stage with the stadium now looking transformed compared with how it looked the last time the Reds appeared there. The stage itself will be situated at the Anfield Road end of the ground as over 150,000 people prepare to pack in to see Swift in action in the coming days.

The usual grass surface has also been replaced, with a gray floor installed as concertgoers get ready to dance the night away to the American's back catalogue of hit songs. It appears that Swift's team is excited ahead of the Liverpool leg too, with the official Eras Tour Twitter/X page expressing anticipation.

Their post read: "You'll never walk alone when you're at 'The Eras Tour'! Taylor Swift officially takes over Liverpool, UK for the 100TH SHOW of 'The Eras Tour' in exactly 3 days on JUNE 13TH!"

Liverpool City Council previously confirmed that a safety certificate for the event has now been obtained by the club ahead of the concerts. They stated: "The good news is, we’ve just granted a special safety certificate to legally confirm Anfield is compliant with all conditions necessary for staging a live music event there. We’ll also be doing that for the Pink concerts.

"I’d like to thank Liverpool Football Club for all of their cooperation, not just in the run up to these concerts, but throughout this past year. The loss and subsequent appointment of a new contractor presented some significant challenges to everyone regarding stadium compliance, and the teamwork involved with all has been exemplary.

"A lot of communication and engagement has been going on behind the scenes with all of the key stakeholders to enable Anfield to incrementally open and for the club to use the extended Grandstand. The ground currently has an interim Ground Safety Certificate and hopefully by September when finished to its full occupancy, it will have a full one, alongside a Building Regulation completion certificate.

"Once complete, the stunning Anfield will have a capacity over 60,000. And just as crucial, the city now has a world class venue to sing from the rooftops about."

Elsewhere in the city, a special 'Taylor Town' spectacular has been established as Swift prepares to play in the city of pop for the first time. Installed at various spots across Liverpool, 11 themed artworks have been commissioned to pay homage to the superstar in the lead up to her visit.

Following on from the staging of the Eurovision finals last year in the city, Liverpool City Council director for culture, Claire McColgan, spoke of the region's confidence when it comes to putting on world-class events. She said: "The Taylor Town Trail is going to put Swifties in pure pop heaven

"And even if you haven’t got a ticket to one of the concerts, it’s just going to be an unforgettable experience. As everyone saw with Eurovision last year, Liverpool knows how to embrace an event and transform it into something else entirely. We scousify and then let it fly.”