As Taylor Swift moves to Germany, a city has taken her name – at least for a few weeks

According to German news agency dpa, the town has changed its name to “Swiftkirchen” in honor of the singer – at least temporarily – in order to welcome the thousands of fans who will be attending her shows on July 17, 18 and 19.

A yellow town sign with the new name — which roughly translates to “Swift’s Church” — was unveiled Tuesday by Swift fan Aleshani Westhoff, who suggested the name to the town’s mayor and started a petition a few weeks ago. Mayor Karin Velge thanked the teenager for her “great idea” in a letter accepting the proposal.

The Swifty sign features a pink portrait of the pop icon and is located in the city centre. City spokesman Markus Schwertmann told dpa that several more signs will be installed in the coming days “in very busy places in Gelsenkirchen”.

One of the poorest cities in Germany, Gelsenkirchen is a former coal mining town that never recovered from the decline of its main industry. The Ruhr city is known for its football team and a huge stadium that sometimes attracts international entertainers such as Swift.

And there’s more to come in Germany’s Swifty city.

The American singer will also get her own stone on the Gelsenkirchen Walk of Fame, joining local notables such as football coach Rudi Assauer and writer Ilse Kibugis, and during her concerts, the city will hold open-air parties with karaoke performances. A “Taylor Swift streetcar” is already in operation, dpa reports.

Further attractions are being planned for fans, but are kept secret for the time being. “There will be lots of big and small surprises, so that Swifties will have a lot to discover in Gelsenkirchen,” said Schwartzmann.

Swift’s concert in Gelsenkirchen is all sold out and will be held at the Veltins-Arena at Schalke Stadium, which has room for 70,000 Swifties. Eras Tour shows are also planned in Hamburg and Munich.

This article is generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.