Taylor Swift surprises fans with a live “Shake It Off” performance at Nashville’s Tight End University charity event, joining Travis Kelce on stage.
Taylor Swift made a surprise return to the stage on Tuesday night, performing “Shake It Off” at a Nashville charity event—her first live appearance since wrapping the Eras Tour six months ago.
The impromptu performance took place at the Brooklyn Bowl during the Tight Ends & Friends benefit concert, part of the NFL’s Tight End University (TEU) week.
The event, hosted by NFL stars including Travis Kelce—Swift’s boyfriend—featured performances by Kane Brown, Chase Rice, and more. While fans suspected Swift might be in the crowd, no one expected her to grab a guitar and sing.
At the end of Kane Brown’s set, he teased the audience: “Do y’all care if I bring out a really, really special guest?” Moments later, Swift appeared on stage with a borrowed guitar from Rice and delivered an acoustic version of her hit, “Shake It Off,” with Brown shaking a jingle stick beside her.
📽️| Better version of Taylor Shaking It the fuck Off with the Tight Ends in Nashville! pic.twitter.com/LL5rn7uv72
— Taylor Swift Updates 🩶 (@swifferupdates) June 25, 2025
Swift dedicated the song to “our favorite players… the tight ends,” and joked about the spontaneous performance, revealing the band had learned the song just minutes before. She also gave a shoutout to Brown mid-song for his enthusiastic tambourine playing.
Afterward, Brown poked fun at the moment on Instagram, posting a photo with Swift and Kelce with the caption, “When you think you’re the special guest BUT you’re not.”
The benefit show is the only public-facing event tied to TEU, a private training summit for NFL tight ends founded by George Kittle, with Kelce and Greg Olsen also serving as hosts.
The night before the concert, Swift and Kelce attended a welcome party at L.A. Jackson nightclub and visited Jason Aldean’s rooftop bar.
The Nashville crowd, lucky enough to witness the surprise, quickly flooded social media with videos of the electric moment—proving once again that when Taylor Swift shows up, it’s never just a casual appearance.
TRAVIS WATCHING TAYLOR PERFORM ‘Shake It Off’ at the Tight Ends & Friends concert in Nashville 😭🤠
— Swiftie's Unite (@swiftiesaunites) June 25, 2025
he looked so proud… like yes king cheer for your superstar girlfriend!!#Tayvis #TaylorSwift #TravisKelce #ShakeItOff #TEU #CountryTaylor #SwiftTok #SupportiveBoyfriendEra pic.twitter.com/Lw5Sk55ZZU
