Malala Yousafzai attends Taylor Swift's concert, recalls her life in Swat Valley after Taliban control

Music’s role before Taliban’s ban (Insta: malala)

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, a renowned advocate for girls' education, shared a personal story about her connection to music and its significance in her life. She once found confidence and freedom through music in her hometown of Swat Valley. However, her life changed dramatically when the Taliban took control in 2008.

The extremist group enforced a strict ban on television and music, punishing those who defied these orders, and also forbade girls from attending school—a directive Ms. Yousafzai refused to accept. That year, she moved to a different location to continue her education.

On October 2012, at just 15 years old, Ms. Yousafzai was shot on the left side of her head by a masked gunman. She woke up ten days later in a Birmingham hospital, where doctors informed her that the world was praying for her recovery.

Recently, Ms. Yousafzai experienced a “magical” full-circle moment by attending Taylor Swift's Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium in London. During the event, she took to Instagram to share photographs of the experience, which included images of her with her husband Asser Malik and friends, as well as nostalgic photos from her childhood in Swat Valley with her best friend Moniba.

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A post shared by Malala Yousafzai (@malala)

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In her Instagram post, Ms. Yousafzai reflected on the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, noting that once again “music no longer plays on the streets, and girls and women are barred from school, work and public life.” She expressed hope for a future where every girl can enjoy music and pursue her dreams, recalling how music in Swat made her and her friends “feel confident and free.”

She also shared a personal anecdote about Swift’s impact on her. “One of my favourite memories from Swat Valley is a field trip I took in middle school with my best friend, Moniba... Giggling, we went to a waterfall hidden away in a lush green mountain,” she wrote. “We were so excited because we were finally allowed to go to school again and could be outdoors with our friends, laughing and singing together.”