'Tis The Damn Season when Taylor Swift releases a new album. The Tortured Poets Department is out on Friday 19 April, and London is celebrating with various album launch parties and listening events. Us? We'll just be happy to finally find out what 'loml' actually means, and quite possibly crying over the lyrics of So Long, London.
Taylor Swift album launch party with Club de Fromage
Any event by cheesy club night Club de Fromage is a good time. But when Taylor Swift's dropped new music? Enchanted. Head to the O2 Academy Islington on Saturday 20 April for a special listening party, where every track from the new album is played from the time the doors open, with confetti cannons and balloons thrown in for good measure. This is followed by other Taylor Swift tunes, and Club de Fromage's usual mix of pop, rock, indie, power ballads and disco for the rest of the evening — think Queen, Beyonce, The Killers, Whitney, ABBA, Avril Lavigne, Olivia Rodrigo, Spice Girls, and more, until 3.30am.
As with all Club de Fromage events, anyone in fancy dress gets to queue jump. Absolute respect for anyone turning up as a bright green poodle. Now, where did we put our Kansas City Chiefs costume?
Taylor Swift album launch celebration at Club de Fromage, 20 April.
Swiftie Saturday at Waterstones Gower Street
The album's called The Tortured Poets Department (the lack of apostrophe, by the way, is Swift's, not ours), so a bookshop is the obvious place to appreciate it. Waterstones Gower Street and its in-house music shop Gower Records team up for Swiftie Saturday, an evening event featuring a bookseller-led discussion of the record, a quiz and bracelet making (IYKYK), over a drink or two. Naturally, the album will be played throughout, and there's a chance to buy a copy of The Tortured Poets Department on 'ghosted white vinyl' as part of your ticket.
Swiftie Saturday at Waterstones Gower Street, 20 April.
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Swifties album release party at Big Chill Bar
If you're the sort of person who needs time to let things settle, the Swifties album release celebration in King's Cross is probably the one for you. Taking place a week after the album comes out, it promises a whole night of nothing but Taylor Swift songs — including those from The Tortured Poets Department — in the main room (with hip hop and r'n'b tunes playing in another room).
Swifties album release celebration at Big Chill Bar, 26 April.
Swiftogeddon's Tortured Poets Department launch party
Regular Taylor Swift club night Swiftogeddon commandeers The Clapham Grand on The Tortured Poets Department release day, celebrating the new album along with tracks from Swift's first 10 albums. The events have a Reputation for being the peak of Swiftie culture here in the UK, and having been to a few ourselves, we concur.
As with all Swiftogeddon events, this one sold out weeks in advance, BUT, there is a waitlist, and we have in the past been one of the Lucky Ones to bag ourselves returned tickets, so you might get in yet. Otherwise, get booking for future Swiftogeddon events, including Eras Tour warm-up parties this summer.
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