Taylor Swift gives first live performance of The Fate of Ophelia at Academy Museum Gala
Taylor Swift performed “The Fate of Ophelia” live for the first time at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on Oct. 17.
The performance closed out her set at the museum’s sixth annual fundraiser, according to Billboard. She was introduced by comedian and host Conan O’Brien.
Swift played four songs in total. Alongside the live debut, she performed “I Knew It, I Knew You,” her original song written for the Toy Story 5 soundtrack, plus longstanding fan favourites “Blank Space” and “Love Story.”
“The Fate of Ophelia” is taken from Swift’s 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl. It spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the US singles chart, making it her longest-running chart-topper.
The gala set was her first public performance since an August appearance at the Grammy Museum. This year’s gala honoured actors Charlize Theron and Colman Domingo and director John Carpenter.
The song had already built a long paper trail before it reached the stage. Its video won Video of the Year at the 2026 VMAs in September, where Swift thanked Dolly Parton in her acceptance speech, according to Billboard.
For fans, this means the wait is over. Ten weeks at the top. One live debut. And a short set that paired new material with two of the oldest names on the setlist.
