Taylor Swift performed “The Fate of Ophelia” live for the first time Saturday at the star-studded Academy Museum Gala.
Conan O’Brien introduced Swift prior to her four-song set, calling her “John, Paul, George, and Ringo all in one” before she and her band
launched in “Blank Space.” Following that, Swift told the audience that they were about to witness the debut performance of a Life of a Showgirl track.
“This song, which we are playing for the very first time for you beautiful people, this is called ‘The Fate of Ophelia,'” Swift told the crowd.
Swift then performed her Toy Story 5 contribution “I Knew It, I Knew You” before ending her gala performance with “Love Story.”
“Taylor is an extraordinary talent whose work resonates around the world,” Academy Museum Director Amy Homma said in a statement when Swift’s gala performance was announced earlier this month. “We are thrilled to welcome her to this year’s gala and look forward to her performance to close a wonderful evening of honoring three extraordinary filmmakers and supporting the Academy Museum’s mission to celebrate and preserve cinema.”
Swift is an avowed film fan and is reportedly working on feature-length directorial debut. (The movie was announced in 2022, but still no word yet on when it might go into production or see release.) But her decision to play the Academy Museum’s annual gala also comes at an important moment: Right before the start of Oscars voting season.
Since the end of the Eras Tour in December 2024, Swift has only performed live a handful of times, usually in similarly celebrity-filled settings: Prior to her Academy Museum performance, Swift played at both Grammys- and Emmys-related events back in August. Before that, she debuted “I Knew It, I Knew You” at the Toy Story 5 premiere in Los Angeles.
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