Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce surprised fans when he joined her on stage during the Eras Tour — but it was a long time coming for the couple.
“The appearance was planned,” a source exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly, referring to Kelce, 34, joining the Eras Tour dance troupe for Swift’s third night in London on June 23.
While Kelce’s performance was goofy — he was dressed in a suit and top hat while carrying Swift, 34, as part of her Tortured Poets Department set — it was sentimental for the lovebirds.
“It was a special moment to mark their relationship milestone,” the insider says, explaining that Monday, July 8, will mark one year since Kelce attended Swift’s Kansas City, Missouri, show and attempted to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it.
Although Kelce didn’t meet Swift during that outing, he did eventually get a date with the Grammy winner and the pair began dating later that summer.
As their relationship has evolved, Kelce and Swift have learned to soak up every minute together even on the road. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has joined Swift on several stops of her Eras Tour, including Australia, Singapore, England and Ireland.
“Travis’ schedule is getting crazy again soon,” the source tells Us, noting that the duo “wanted to do something cool while he was there [and] create something memorable for fans.”
Following Swift’s shows in London and Dublin in late June, the couple took advantage of their time together and enjoyed a few dates.
The twosome were spotted at the Chiltern Firehouse, which is a private London hotspot, on June 23. They arrived shortly after midnight and were joined by Swift’s pals Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Ellie Goulding, both of whom attended her show that evening.
Sophie Turner and her boyfriend, Peregrine Pearson, were also seen at the members-only club with her longtime friend.
Swift and Kelce celebrated the end of her Dublin shows on June 30, partying at local pub The Hacienda Bar.
“Taylor and Travis couldn’t have been more kind,” an employee at the establishment exclusively told Us earlier this month. “They seemed to have an amazing evening and we were thrilled to host.”
The pair were joined by Stevie Nicks, who was at Swift’s Ireland show, and Paramore, who performed ahead of Swift’s set.
“I knew as soon as I saw the first Dublin crowd on Friday night that we were in for a wild weekend,” Swift reflected via Instagram on Tuesday, July 2. “The spirit of those 3 glorious crowds embodied fun and joy and exuberance, and we just felt so lucky to be there. The Irish fans made us feel so at home, so welcome in every way. Still smiling thinking about it now.”
Swift will continue to travel around Europe through August, while Kelce is beginning to gear up for the NFL season, which kicks off on September 5.
Swift has a tour break from the end of August through early November before going back on the road in Canada for the end of the Eras Tour. That means, football fans could see her back in the stands at Chiefs games rooting on Kelce throughout the fall.
Even with their jam-packed schedules, the duo is embracing their “easy era,” a source exclusively told Us in June. “They have daily FaceTimes when they’re apart and send cute texts to each other,” the insider said.
A second source explained, “Taylor and Travis are very confident in their relationship” so they “don’t have to bend over backwards and travel to see each other for less than a day.”
Watch the exclusive video above for more details on Swift and Kelce’s romance — and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
