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The superstar arrives in Europe next month – and Swifties, tourist boards and venues are already preparingTim Brown, 44, and his wife, Marcella, 34, may not consider themselves bona fide “Swifties”, but when it was announced last June that Taylor Swift would be visiting their corner of the globe this summer they could not resist joining the scramble for a pair of tickets.A post-pandemic...

Outrage from the far right over rumours of a performance at the opening ceremony has exposed deep divisions in FranceShe is the most listened-to French singer in the world, whose relentlessly catchy hits about love and betrayal have been streamed 7bn times and who made history last year when she sold out three Paris gigs in 15 minutes.But Aya Nakamura, France’s biggest pop superstar...

Dancehall star was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 for the murder of an associateThe Jamaican musician Vybz Kartel’s conviction for the murder of an associate more than a decade ago has been quashed, with a London court ruling that attempts to bribe the trial jury meant the conviction was unsafe.The dancehall star, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is one of Jamaica’s...

National broadcaster says it agreed to make changes after request from country’s presidentIsrael has agreed to revise the lyrics of its potential submission to the Eurovision song contest after organisers took issue with verses that appeared to reference Hamas’s 7 October attack.The contest, which will take place from 7 to 11 May in the Swedish city of Malmö, can disqualify contestants deemed to have...

Srettha Thavisin claims promoter told him Singaporean government offered ‘subsidies’ of $2m-$3m a showThailand’s prime minister has claimed that Singapore sought a deal with Taylor Swift to prevent her from playing elsewhere in south-east Asia on her Eras tour.Srettha Thavisin said the concert promoter AEG had informed him that the Singaporean government offered subsidies of US$2m-$3m (£1.6m-£2.4m) a show as part of an exclusivity...

Open letter signed by more than 1,000 musicians from 2024 host country follows petition from artists in Finland and IcelandMore than 1,000 musical artists from Eurovision host country Sweden have signed an open letter calling for Israel to be excluded from this year’s edition of the song contest over its “brutal warfare in Gaza”.Published in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, the open letter says that by...

Weiss led US girl band with run of hit songs about teenage love and tragedy, including Leader of the PackMary Weiss, the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, has died at the age of 75, her record label said.The US girl band rose to stardom with a run of hit songs about teenage love and tragedy, including Remember (Walking in the...

US rapper scheduled to appear in court on Thursday and is being held in a Santo Domingo jailAuthorities in the Dominican Republic have arrested the US rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, who is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday on charges of domestic violence.The rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernández, is being held at a jail in the capital, Santo Domingo, where he was...

Lachlan Galbraith says he feels ‘deep regret’ for stealing a drink bottle lid, but the Hunting and Fishing store in Queenstown says embarrassment ‘is punishment enough’Ocean Alley keyboardist Lachlan Galbraith has publicly apologised after a shop in New Zealand shared CCTV footage of him shoplifting.Hunting and Fishing Queenstown uploaded footage to Facebook and Instagram showing Galbraith placing a A$17.95 drink bottle lid in his...