Taylor Swift Adds 16 Dates to SPEAK NOW WORLD TOUR 2011

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Taylor Swift, who is in the final week of the European leg of her blockbuster TAYLOR SWIFT SPEAK NOW WORLD TOUR 2011, announced today that in response to strong fan demand she will extend the North American portion of the tour by 16 dates, and will now headline 78 shows in stadiums and arenas in 63 cities in 42 states and provinces in the US and Canada this year.

Tickets for shows already put on sale were gone in minutes, including stadium shows in Detroit, Foxboro (MA), and Philadelphia, and 4-night runs at the Prudential Center in Newark and at Los Angeles' Staples Center. The TAYLOR SWIFT SPEAK NOW WORLD TOUR 2011, launched February 9th in Singapore, kicks off in the US on May 27th with two sold-out shows at the Qwest Center in Omaha and now wraps with two shows at Madison Square Garden just before Thanksgiving.  

Taylor, who is currently nominated for four Academy of Country Music Awards – including the evening's biggest honor, the fan-voted Entertainer of the Year Award, spent most of the month of February playing to capacity crowds in Asia, and this month she has headlined arenas throughout Europe. During the show, Taylor performs on two different stages -- playing several different acoustic and electric guitars and also the piano and the ukulele, and has earned rave reviews from critics at every SPEAK NOW tour stop.

"There is one thing concert-goers took away from American country sweetheart Taylor Swift's maiden Singapore gig: The gal can sing. On Wednesday night, her vocals were near pitch-perfect throughout the 95 min show……she gave as good as she got." -- Asia One News

"Taylor Swift charms Korea in style, radiant...with pitch-perfect and sincere vocals. The dedication of the fans present was boundless, the cheers of the crowd were sometimes louder than the music itself." --Korea Focus Times

"Swift is this generation's Dolly Parton: both in regards to substance and showbiz." -- VG, Norway

"Right from the start Taylor's voice was as enchanting and lovely as on her album. Taylor Swift live is even more impressive than on her albums -- her wonderful personality, sweet voice, and most of all her amazing songs gave Forest the time of its life." -- CJP, Belgium

Tickets for the added North American shows will go on sale in the coming weeks. Adam Brand will open for the September 24th and the November dates, and David Nail will open the added October shows.

• In his native Australia, Adam Brand is a veritable superstar, earning three platinum and two gold albums, nominated four times for Best Country Album by ARIA (Australia Recording Industry Association), and winning a dozen CMAAs (Country Music Awards of Australia) including multiple wins in the Song of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year categories. Brand is now taking on Nashville with his upcoming release on Arista Records. www.adambrandofficial.com

• MCA Nashville recording artist David Nail is scheduled to release his sophomore album in the fall on MCA Nashville, and his current single "Let It Rain" is the first offering from the still-to-be titled release. David's new album is the official follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut, I'm About To Come Alive, and will be the first release since his Grammy nomination for Best Male Vocal Country Performance for his hit "Turning Home." www.davidnail.com

A complete listing of all of the dates of the TAYLOR SWIFT SPEAK NOW WORLD TOUR 2011 is available at www.taylorswift.com. The dates added to the tour include the following:

The North American leg of the TAYLOR SWIFT SPEAK NOW WORLD TOUR is sponsored by COVERGIRL®, and produced and promoted by The Messina Group (TMG.) Ticket prices start at $25. The COVERGIRL® sponsorship is an expansion of the partnership announced last year, when Taylor was named the newest COVERGIRL®. TMG is a partner of AEG Live, one of the top live entertainment companies in the world, which produces world tours featuring internationally renowned artists and regional concerts and festivals. 

SOURCE AEG Live