Taylor Swift concert in Zurich causes seismic activity

American pop star Taylor Swift performed for three hours to an audience of 50,000 people in Zurich. Keystone / Ennio Leanza
Spikes in seismic activity detected six kilometres away from Zurich’s Letzigrund Stadium were generated by Taylor Swift’s fans during her first concert in Switzerland.

During Tuesday night’s concert at Letzigrund Stadium, the Swiss Seismological Service reported that eight seismometers detected tremors extending up to six kilometres away. The Zurich stadium hosted 50,000 people.

When many people move rhythmically together, this energy transmits as harmonic vibrations into the ground and can be detected by nearby seismometers,” explained the Seismological Service.

The highest readings were recorded shortly after 7pm when Taylor Swift took to the stage. Her fans, the Swifties, enthusiastically greeted her with jumping and dancing. Similar seismic activity has been documented during the musician’s past concerts too.

According to the Seismological Service, similar phenomena have been observed during other bands’ performances and football matches. “It’s not possible to conclusively determine from the seismic data whether Taylor Swift generates more or less excitement compared to other bands or football matches, which also result in measurable seismic disturbances,” clarified the Seismological Service.

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Swift is currently on her “Eras Tour” across Europe. On July 17, she will begin a series of concerts in Germany.