Taylor Swift reportedly films $1M festive new music video featuring Lewis Capaldi and Domhnall Gleeson

Taylor Swift reportedly travelled 3,500 miles from New Jersey to the UK to film a new festive music video at several discreet locations, including the partially derelict Whitgift Centre in Croydon.

The 35-year-old singer arrived by private jet and remained completely unseen during her week-long stay thanks to tight security measures described by one insider as a military operation.

Sources suggest the project is linked to "Opalite", a track from her recent album The Life Of A Showgirl, with the video reportedly carrying a budget of around $1 million.

Filming began at the Mildmay Club in Stoke Newington, where extras in retro outfits were spotted leaving alongside props such as Christmas trees, glitter cannons and tinsel. Banana milkshake was used as a stand-in for eggnog, while grape juice replaced champagne.

Production then moved to Croydon, where half of the Whitgift Centre was hired out for rumoured Christmas shopping scenes. Large screens were installed to block public views, and cast members were assigned numbers rather than names. 

Whispers on set indicate Lewis Capaldi and Domhnall Gleeson, both recent fellow guests with Swift on The Graham Norton Show, may feature in cameo roles. 

Post-production is now underway, with the release expected before Christmas. Opalite’s theme aligns with Swift’s comments that the song was inspired by her fiancé Travis Kelce, whose birthstone is opal.