Appearing via video from another location, Swift thanked her fans, who she said “have been beyond wonderful all the years of my career, but especially this one when we’ve been so far apart, we haven’t been able to see each other in concert” because of the pandemic.
“The reason I’m not there tonight is I’m actually recording all of my old music in the studio where we originally recorded it,” Swift added. “So, it’s been amazing, and I can’t wait for you to hear it.”
Henson announced that those in the theater were socially distanced and grouped by household, masked and tested for Covid-19 before the show. Other seats held cutout posters of stars, including Beyoncé.
Despite the unorthodox Covid-19 environment, Swift said to her fans, “I still feel really connected to you through the music, your reaction to (her latest album) ‘Folklore’ and all the ways in which your imagination honored that album.
“I just love you so much,” she said, “and I’m really, really lucky because of you.”