As I strode by way of the complete physique airport-style metal-detector test into Wembley Stadium for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour return, my thoughts floated again to my first live performance at Knebworth Park in 1986. I’m certain Hertfordshire Constabulary will need to have been in attendance however safety, from reminiscence, primarily consisted of fearsome-looking Hell’s Angels tasked with stopping followers smuggling in booze.
4 many years on and the concern of any person getting wasted on Particular Brew has been changed by the horror posed by brainwashed extremists concentrating on life-loving younger music followers.
The foiled plot in Vienna final week meant measures to maintain followers protected for the pop sensation’s second London coming was deemed to be not like something safety forces had beforehand put in place for a UK live performance.
But extremely regardless of this the ‘ring of metal’ operation felt remarkably calm, and dare I say it low key and positively unobtrusive.
Arriving at Wembley Park station mid-afternoon the massive queues have been expertly managed and while there have been loads of hi-vis jacketed workers in help, uniformed police numbers have been manner under what I had anticipated to see.
Approaching the stadium these officers in attendance fortunately chatted and exchanged friendship bands with youthful followers, however their sheer presence gave an awesome air of reassurance.
Strolling up Wembley Means proved a joyous carnival-like environment, so that you barely seen the safety slowly rising the nearer one acquired to the stadium.
This was clearly an intelligence led operation, little question backed-up with groups of plain clothed police spotters mingling amongst the mass military of sparkle-clad Swifties. Nonetheless even perimeter ticket checks and bag searches had a “gentle contact” really feel with the intent of pleasant relatively than fearsome.
I used to be shocked to not obtain a physique ‘pat-down’ on reaching the gates – as is customary at soccer matches – however I suppose the full-body steel detector you cross coming into the stadium deemed the intrusive search a step too far.
Submit-show there have been extra crowd management measures in place and roof-top spotters could possibly be seen together with an elevated police visibility on the bottom.
And with the evening passing incident free The Met Police, reportedly assisted by Swift financed private-security counterterrorism operatives, deserve large reward for his or her delicate dealing with of the state of affairs and it provides me large reassurance the remaining reveals will observe drawback free.