Taylor Swift revamps 'run-down' mall into nostalgic wonderland for 'Opalite' video

The shopping centre showcased in Taylor Swift’s “Opalite” video is a real place in England — and Swift's team definitely added some cinematic flair to it!

Swift, at 36, debuted this '90s-themed video on Friday (February 6), marking it as the second release from her 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl. 

The video features multiple celebrity appearances, such as Domhnall Gleeson playing her love interest, along with Cillian Murphy, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Lewis Capaldi.

During one scene, Gleeson, 42, together with Swift— who sported a brunette hairstyle instead of her usual blonde — shares a romantic outing at a shopping center. 

In reality, this is the Whitgift Shopping Centre located in Croydon, a South London area.

Sarah Jones, who represents Croydon West in Parliament for Labour, shared the thrilling update about the pop star filming part of her video at the centre on February 6 in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“It’s not every day that Taylor Swift shoots a video in Croydon’s Whitgift Center!,” she commented, alongside pictures from the video showing Swift and Gleeson in the mall.

While the scene presents an inviting date venue — with neon lights, cozy ambiance, and lively greenery spread across the shopping center — local residents indicate the actual place lacks vitality.

“It's sad to see this centre so neglected with very few stores remaining; it was an incredible place back in the day with various stores and eateries,” an individual wrote. “It was always the go-to spot for anything you needed, but not anymore. Hoping it gets revamped to be even better than before.”

Another individual, rating the mall with a single star, described it as a “terrible place” and added, “Seems like most of the stores are shut.”

As per TimeOut, there have been plans to turn the shopping centre into a Westfield mall for more than ten years. 

According to the outlet, the planning submission was delayed several times, and developers Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield aren’t expected to resubmit until later this year.

If the submission gets approval, TimeOut reports that construction on the mall most likely won’t commence until sometime after 2028.