Taylor Swift Opens Tour Rehearsal to Fans to Benefit Tornado Victims

Taylor Swift is gearing up to launch the next leg of her Speak Now Tour later this month, and the singing superstar is sweetening the deal for her fans in order to give back to those who lost belongings and loved ones during the devastating tornadoes in the south last week.

"I was watching the coverage of the tornadoes backstage at rehearsals," Swift says in a press release about the event. "I wanted to do something for the families affected by the damage."

After giving it much thought, Swift made her announcement Friday morning that she will be opening up her final dress rehearsal for the Speak Now Tour to her supportive fans as a special fundraiser to benefit victims of the deadly storms. The 'Speak Now ... Help Now!' rehearsal show will take place in front of 13,000 fans who will get a first look at Swift's new show almost a week early. The rehearsal show will take place on Saturday, May 21 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, where Swift and her band have been rehearsing for the tour for the past five weeks.

"I’ve never opened a rehearsal to the public before, but I felt that inviting my fans to the last rehearsal for the Speak Now Tour would be a great way to raise money," says the singer. "We’ll probably still be doing some fine-tuning to the show that night, but I feel like it is so important for me and my fans to help if we can."

Tickets to Swift's 'Speak Now ... Help Now!' event will become available on Monday, May 9 through her website. All proceeds from tickets sold will go directly to the tornado victims.

The North American portion of Swift's 2011 Speak Now World Tour kicks off on May 27 in Omaha, Neb. with Frankie Ballard.

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