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Live updates from Taylor Swift’s Sydney Eras Tour: Audience won’t stop clapping as Taylor left in shock

Sydney left Taylor shocked and emotional, as the audience went so “wild”, as she called it, that she couldn’t perform for an entire five minutes.

Taylor Swift's boyfriend spotted at Sydney concert

It seems Taylor Swift may have underestimated how beloved she is down under, with the audience clapping for so long that she was unable to perform.

Meanwhile, the singer has unleashed her verdict on the NSW capital — and don’t worry, it’s good news.

It comes as Taylor was spotted kissing her boyfriend Travis Kelce at her concert yesterday hours before he boarded a private jet to fly back to the US.

Some pictures were shared on social media on Saturday afternoon.

Read on for the latest updates.

Taylor’s hilarious crack at Aussie accent

Taylor Swift has delighted the Sydney crowd by having a crack at the Aussie accent while introducing her song ‘Should Have Said No’.

“I have a very specific word that is my favourite word that you say in an Australian accent and that word is the word, ‘no’,” she said.

“The more you chew on that ‘naur’.

“I think you say it better than I say it.”

She then encouraged the crowd to sing along however they like, let that be in an American accent or otherwise.

“Or you can just be yourselves and say: ‘You Should Have Said Naur’,” Taylor said before launching into the song.

📹 | “The choice is yours, you can sing it American like me if you want or you can just be yourselves and you can say Should've Said Naur” - Taylor before playing “Should’ve Said No” #SydneyTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/3spxyQYIJK — Taylor Swift Updates 🤍 (@TSwiftLA) February 24, 2024

Sydney crowd in stitches over iconic movie reference

Taylor Swift ‘s dancer has quoted an iconic line from an Australian movie during the second night of her four-day Sydney show run.

About 80,000 fans erupted into laughter on Saturday night when her dancer Kameron Saunders delivered a line from the 1997 film The Castle.

“Tell him he’s dreaming,” he sang, in reference to Michael Caton’s now infamous catchphrase from the film.

It came as Swift was introducing her next song, ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’.

Swift regularly hands Mr Saunders the microphone during her song We Are Never Getting Back Together, to which he says a line that is unique to the international audience they are performing for that night.

Earlier in the Melbourne leg of the tour, Saunders delivered the classic Aussie phrases, “yeah nah” and “naur”.

We are NEVER getting back together… TELL HIM HE’S DREAMING! #SydneyTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/4GnYH0om5E — Taylor Swift Brasil (@taylorswiftbr) February 24, 2024

— With NCA Newswire

Sydney audience won’t stop standing ovation, shocking Taylor

Australians can’t get enough of Taylor Swift, and it’s left even Taylor herself shocked.

Just an hour into her Saturday night performance, the Sydney crowd couldn’t contain their fever pitch excitement at being there.

They gave her a standing ovation – and couldn’t stop. The clapping, cheering and whooping went on for four entire minutes of her set.

Taylor mouthed “that’s so loud, you guys won”

“You guys are on another level,” she said above the din.

“You are wild Sydney!

“You’re a crowd I dreamed of having as a child.”

News.com.au entertainment reporter Joshua Haigh, who is on the ground, described the ovation as “insane” and “deafening”.

It will surely go down in music history.

— With Joshua Haigh and Mary Madigan

Taylor was shocked by the display of admiration.

Taylor Swift tears up

Taylor teared up as she got real with her Sydney crowd.

She said the song Marjorie is about her grandmother, causing her to become visibly upset and emotional.

Swifties lose the plot as wild queue pics emerge

Some attendees at tonight’s performance are such diehard Swifties that they’ve opted to miss the show to get their hands on some merchandise.

Perhaps they were hoping to beat the queues that stretched hundreds of people deep before the show kicked off at 7.30pm AEDT.

If that was their hope, then they were not in luck.

The queue remains large.

Whatever the reason, they are queuing there, while Taylor is singing inside the stadium.

— With Mary Madigan

Queuing outside … while Tay Tay is inside. Picture: Mary Madigan/news.com.au

What Swift really thinks about Sydney

Taylor Swift’s verdict is in about the NSW capital — and it’s good news for Sydneysiders.

Swift told the 80,000 or so people assembled in the crowd to watch her perform on Saturday night that Sydney is a top tier place.

“Ah Sydney, you are just ... right off the bat you’re making me feel so ... just extraordinary right now,” she said as the crowd roared.

“I’m not going to lie to you, you just made me feel really, really powerful,” she added, before jokingly kissing her bicep.

She then went on to call Sydney one of the most exciting cities in the world.

“Sabrina said Sydney was extremely lit,” Swift added, referencing Sabrina Carpenter, a US singer who is her opening act.

Sydney loves Taylor, and Taylor loves Sydney.

Sabrina changes lyrics to hit song in ode to Aussies

Taylor’s support act, American singer Sabrina Carpenter, gave the first nod to Australia by changing her lyrics when she performed her hit song, Nonsense.

“When you go Down Under do you miss me,” she belted out.

“He’s so big I felt it in my kidney.

“Screamed so loud he heard it here in Sydney.”

Celeb spotted in Sydney Olympic Park stadium crowd

Eagle-eyed Swifties have spotted Australian actress Rebel Wilson among the legion of fans.

She could be seen embracing the fun and wearing the iconic friendship bracelets attendees have brought out in force tonight.

“@taylorswift we are ready for it,” WiLSON wrote across a selfie video, before sharing more clips of her celebrations ahead of the show at Accor Stadium.

Later, a fan page on X shared a snap of Wilson, 43, watching the show from what appeared to be the VIP tent.

Can you spot Rebel Wilson?

Swifties snub opening act for merch

Numerous Swifties appear to have snubbed Taylor Swift’s opening act in favour of nabbing merchandise.

Long queues could be seen outside the Sydney concert venue at official stand for Swift’s merch, all while American singer Sabrina Carpenter warmed up the crowd inside.

Sabrina was unable to perform on Friday due to the poor weather.

Taylor Swift has now taken to the stage for her second Eras Tour performance in Sydney shortly.

Fans missing the opening act to score some Tay Tay merch. Picture: Mary Madigan/news.com.au

Taylor, Travis PDA caught on camera

New photos of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce kissing have emerged just hours after he fled Sydney.

Swift was pictured running off stage from last night’s sold-out Sydney show to kiss the NFL player.

Yesterday, fans were left to battle through the storm to see Swift perform, which led to delays and opening act Sabrina Carpenter not performing her solo set.

Conditions have held out today, and the show should go as planned.

Taylor rushed off the stage to greet Travis last night. Picture: X

Travis Kelce has left the building.

The Super Bowl winning star arrived in Sydney, Australia to a blockbuster welcome on Thursday morning, touching down on Taylor Swift’s private jet ahead of her first Eras Tour show in the city.

Kelce, 34, was embraced by 81,000 fans as he watched his megastar girlfriend from the VIP tent at her opening concert at Accor Stadium Friday night, and now, TMZ reports he’s already jetted back to Las Vegas for a party.

The publication claims Kelce is currently aboard a private jet via Hawaii, bound for Vegas, and is due to land Saturday morning, US time, for a reunion bash with his Kansas City Chiefs teammates to continue celebrations following their Super Bowl win February 12.

During his brief stint here, Kelce joined Swift for a private date at Sydney Zoo on Thursday, and was spotted admiring the views from their $38,000 per night villa at Crown Sydney .

NFL star Travis Kelce watching Taylor Swift performing at Accor Stadium. Picture: Richard Dobson

Blink-182 star trolls Swifties

Swift attracted a massive crowd to the opening night of her four Sydney shows, but right next door, another legendary act was playing at the same time to slightly less fanfare.

Punk band Blink-182 performed its own sellout gig to 21,000 at Qudos Bank Arena, which is in the same precinct as Accor Stadium, where Swift hosted her concert.

US singer and guitarist Mark Hoppus couldn’t help but to troll the masses of Swifties piling into her stadium prior to his own show, telling them they “should’ve gone to see Blink”.

“I’m about to go onstage and I’m really disappointed in everybody here because this is the Taylor Swift show,” Hoppus said in a video posted to Instagram .

“You should’ve gone to see Blink! You should’ve gone to see Blink-182. We’re right next door. You could’ve seen Blink tonight, just saying.”

Blink-182 frontman trolls Swifties in Sydney

The tongue-in-cheek video was all in good fun, with Hoppus later sharing a selfie with Swift and his wife Skye Hoppus, which was taken backstage.

Blink-182, who shot to fame in the ‘90s, is set to play its fourth and final show in Sydney Saturday night, again, at the same time as Swift.

The band gave a nod to Swift during its set, performing a mash-up including her hit song We Are Never Getting Back Together.

The trio, consisting of Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker, have reunited for their One More Time world tour for the first time in 10 years.

Hoppus seen with Taylor Swift and his wife Skye.

Viral chant leaves Taylor stunned

Swift was left in awe as Sydney launched into a very quirky chant in her honour Friday night.

There were a flurry of highlights from opening night – an A-list turnout among them – but the megastar was left giddy over one particular crowd moment during her concert.

For Swift’s performance of Blank Space , the packed 81,000 audience united to chant ‘Sydney’ while she sang the song’s bridge, in a nod to the singer’s past concert here back in 2015.

Taylor Swift kicked off the Sydney leg of her Eras Tour Friday night. Picture: David Gray/AFP

This needs some explaining for those who aren’t on TikTok.

For Swift’s Australian tour in support of her 1989 album nine years ago, the star engaged the audience in a chant, where she sang ‘Sydney’ once into the microphone, which then repeated on loop as she continued singing.

The moment has been going viral on TikTok in the lead up to Sydney’s shows, with thousands of fan videos imploring the audience to recreate the chant for night 1. Even the official city of Sydney account joined in.

Clearly, Swift was aware of the trending videos, as she was seen smiling and nodding in approval as the crowd at Accor Stadium rose to the challenge last night.

Sydney crowd stuns Taylor Swift with epic group chant

The 14-time Grammy winner later addressed the moment during her acoustic set, telling fans it was “so cool” they all chimed in.

“By the way, do you know how cool it was when I was singing Blank Space . Oh, that was so cool that you did that. I was hoping that you would,” she said, before encouraging the crowd to do it again.

While grim weather initially threatened Swift’s performance, a thunderstorm cleared just in time for her to hit the stage.

Her support act, US singer Sabrina Carpenter, delighted the audience as she joined Swift onstage for an acoustic mash-up of White Horse and Coney Island , after her set was cancelled due to lightning strikes.

It was certainly a star-studded spectacle for attendees, with Katy Perry, Rita Ora and Taika Waititi spotted in a VIP tent.

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry before the Sydney concert kicked off.

But most eyes were on NFL player Travis Kelce, who jetted into Sydney on Thursday to join his girlfriend for the Sydney leg of her tour.

The Super Bowl winner was seen sporting friendship bracelets and waving to screaming fans.

After the show, the power couple could be seen sharing a passionate kiss in video shared to social media , before they then left the venue together.

Papa Swift’s generous act

Swift’s dad was the real MVP on opening night.

During Swift’s closing Midnights era set, as Midnight Rain began playing, Scott Swift could be seen at the back of the venue handing out sandwiches and fruit to audience members in a video uploaded to TikTok .

Affectionately dubbed ‘Papa Swift’ by Swifties, Scott, 71, was taking around food as he held a lamp over the platter.

Scott Swift just doing good things.

Fans flooded the comment section heaping praise on Scott, saying it was clear where Swift got her down-to-earth nature from.

“Papa Swift! You’re awesome! That is why your daughter is a sweet, kind, caring and generous person!,” one wrote.

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sydney eras tour twitter

Another said, “I love the idea that Taylor see these while scrolling in bed and is just like ‘dads being a dad’.”

A third added, “Papa swift making sure all swifties are fed and watered like we’re his own kids.”

Swift will return to the stage again on Saturday night for another three-and-a-half-hour extravaganza.

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All the biggest moments from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour shows in Sydney as they happened

By Chantelle Bozicevic, April Glover, Bronte Gossling, Kahla Preston and Karishma Sarkari | 8 months ago

After seven shows, playing to more than 624,500 screaming fans inside the stadiums (and thousands more waiting desperately outside them) and breaking three tour records, it's all over.

The tour we have been talking about for eight months has played its last show Down Under.

Taylor Swift is set to depart Australia for the next leg of the Eras Tour in Singapore, leaving her new favourite haunt, Sydney Zoo , and all of her devastated Aussie fans behind.

On Monday, Swift played to a record Sydney audience of 84,500, gave out her final 22 hat and surprised the audience one last time with a couple of song mashups – featuring some of the most beloved tracks in her back catalogue, making Australia enemy number one in the global Swift fandom in the process – in her acoustic set.

sydney eras tour twitter

Here, for the last time, are the most memorable moments from Taylor Swifts Eras Tour in Sydney.

The final surprise songs

It's official: the game of trying to predict surprise songs for each Aussie show is done and dusted.

Swift's first surprise song of the night, performed on guitar, was a mashup of Would've, Could've, Should've and ivy.

As these are two fan-favourite tracks, the reaction from Swifties missing out on the show has been... intense.

The second mashup, performed on piano, was Forever and Always with Maroon .

To put it mildly...

'Rack off, mate'

If there are three words we never thought we'd hear during a Taylor Swift concert, it would be these.

Taylor Swift performs We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together in Sydney, February 26, 2024.

Swift and her dancer Kam have executed another tone-perfect lyric tweak during We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together , continuing the tradition of changing "like, ever" to a local saying or reference for each touring destination.

Tonight, Kam declared, "Rack off, mate" in a near-perfect Aussie twang.

Take a bow: we appreciate the commitment to the bit.

Another youngster's dreams come true

For the fourth night in a row, Swift has put a huge smile on a young fan's face by presenting them with her hat during the performance of 22.

This, right here, is pure joy.

Yet another record smashed

Just in case Taylor Swift needed yet another feather to stick in her cap, she's just made history for Accor Stadium.

According to the venue's Twitter account, the American pop icon is the first artist to perform there four nights in a row.

It almost didn't happen; cast your mind back to mid-2023 when the Eras Tour Australian tickets went on sale, there were only three dates locked in for Sydney.

However, after immense demand, Swift delighted fans by adding a fourth show, a win-win situation as it turns out!

Six words screamed from Aussie stadium for the last time

With the last Eras Tour concert comes the last time we'll hear the fan chants associated with the show on Aussie soil... at least until Swift returns for her next tour.

Accor Stadium has just heard its last "1, 2, 3, let's go bitch!", the chant shouted in the opening section of Swift's song Delicate:

Sydney ticketholders have also had the unique privilege of being able to embrace the iconic "Sydney!" chant during Blank Space .

The chant originates from the concert film for Swift's 1989 World Tour, which was filmed in Sydney. During the track, Swift conducted an 'experiment', looping her voice shouting "Sydney!" along with the metallic thump of a cane hitting her microphone stand as she sang the bridge.

She actually did this with the name of every city she visited during the 1989 tour, but because the Sydney show was committed to film, it's the version of the chant that's become world-famous.

Taylor Swift performs at Accor Stadium on February 23, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

While Swift hasn't repeated that little sonic experiment during the Eras Tour, Sydney fans knew exactly what to do when she reached the Blank Space bridge.

It's a rain show, folks

Swift is no stranger to playing in the elements, so a spot of rain will hardly dampen her spirit.

"You guys ready to dance with me in the rain?" she asked.

One fan has captured her joyous reaction to a sprinkle from the skies at Accor Stadium:

Another record smashed

After she played to a record 96,000 people in Melbourne's MCG, Swift declared her Night Four concert in Sydney her biggest in the Harbour City.

"Looking at this crowd, the biggest crowd we've had at our four shows here!" she told the crowd of 84,500.

'Never beating the favourite child accusations'

Swifties around the world are convinced Australia is the singer's "favourite child", all thanks to the way she's shaken up her surprise song tradition while in the country.

Swift not only voided her original declaration that no surprise song would be repeated during the tour, but she also began performing mashups of multiple songs.

Taylor Swift performs on stage at Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 16, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia.

It hasn't gone down well outside of Australia, and the two mashups performed on Sunday night have only cemented the "evidence" that we're her favourites.

Swift merged Is it Over Now with I Wish You Would , before performing a melange of Haunted and exile .

"Sydney n3 getting the best surprise songs so far," one tweeted with a gif of a crying woman.

"Haunted x Exile? Are you for real Taylor? Australia is truly the favourite child," another wrote.

Lily's special moment

Lily Taylor Swift SB

A school speech about her admiration for Taylor Swift paid off in the most spectacular way for five-year-old Aussie fan, Lily.

In 2023, the youngster won hearts all over the internet when a video of her delivering the speech was shared online.

"People ask me all the time what I want to be when I grow up - a doctor? A teacher? But no, I want to be a singer like Taylor Swift," she began.

Mum Jess waited in line for three hours to get merch for herself and Lily.

Lily shared some fun facts about Swift, including her age, number of cats and most recent albums, before diving into the important stuff.

On Sunday night, Lily was the lucky recipient of her idol's 22 hat, enjoying a special encounter at the end of the stage.

The schoolgirl presented Swift with a friendship bracelet before the pair hugged.

 'Tell him he's dreamin''

Taylor Swift is officially one step closer to receiving an honourary Australian citizenship*, thanks to her latest shoutout to our culture. (*According to us, at least.)

During Saturday night's performance of We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together , the singer updated one lyric with a nod to a defining title in the Aussie movie canon: The Castle .

Taylor swift dancer kam

In the song's bridge, Swift replaced the spoken lyric "like, ever" – spoken by her dancer, Kam – with "tell him he's dreamin'", the line made famous by Michael Caton's character in the 1997 movie, Darryl Kerrigan.

Clearly, Swift does her homework. 

This lyric change occurs in every show, with the singer tweaking it to reflect the country she's performing in at the time, using a local catchphrase or pop culture reference. In her first Aussie show, she went with another classic: "Yeah, nah."

A keyboard malfunction

Swift continued her very new tradition of performing mashups of multiple songs during her 'surprise song' segment – something she began during her Melbourne shows.

However, she faced a little hurdle on Saturday as she sat at the piano for her second mashup of the night. Touching her fingers to the keys, a synthesiser sound rang out.

"What? You hear that?" she asked, audibly baffled as she continued to hit the key.

"My damn keyboard is playing a synth sound. I wonder if it'll work though, I don't think it will…"

Fortunately, a stagehand was able to quickly switch the keyboard back into piano mode, and Swift proceeded with her performance of New Year's Day and peace .

sydney eras tour twitter

Scarlett's wish come true 

There has been a really sweet interaction between Swift and nine-year-old fan Scarlett, who has been diagnosed with a rare brain tumour and given only months to live.

Scarlett's parents started a social media campaign to get their daughter the 22 hat and after fans shared and re-posted their pleas, it seems like Swift and her team heard the call.

READ MORE: Eerie detail in Taylor and Travis romance we all missed

The Perth girl was taken to the stage, where the singer hugged her and kissed her hand after a short chat.

Watch the video above.

Young fan Scarlett receives a hat from Taylor Swift during her performance at Accor Stadium on February 23, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

While it wasn't the record crowds that the MCG had, there's one thing Sydney had that Melbourne didn't - her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce.

The Kansas City Chiefs player, who touched down in Australia on Thursday, was proudly watching Swift perform from the VIP section while wearing a whole host of friendship bracelets on his wrists.

Here's how the night unfolded and all the big moments from Swift's first Sydney show:

Swift's special surprise for fans who missed out

While more than 80,000 fans were successful in securing tickets for Friday's show, thousands more missed out – but Swift certainly didn't forget about them.

During the concert, at around 10.40pm AEDT, she went live on Instagram so supporters at home could watch as she revealed an alternate cover for her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department before inviting Sabrina Carpenter to the stage.

One 9honey team member was among those watching along at home, describing the moment Swift's Instagram Live appeared in her feed as "so exciting".

Reliving the highlights

New pics from tonight's show at Sydney's Accor Stadium have dropped, which means a chance to relive parts of the night - specifically, the Folklore, Speak Now and Reputation Eras.

Taylor Swift performs at Accor Stadium on February 23, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

That's a wrap

Swift ended the show in her Midnights Era, which is her latest album.

The singer started off in a purple sparkly number with a fluffy coat as she sang Lavender Haze.

The minidress very soon made way for a blue beaded bodysuit as the pop star performed songs Anti-Hero , Midnight Rain , Vigilante Shit , Bejeweled and Mastermind.

The confetti went off on the final track Karma around 11.15pm - after the singer had been performing for three and a half hours.

The last song also featured a subtle little tribute to beau Kelce, with Swift singing: "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs."

The switched up lyric, which is not a first, is a nod to the NFL Super Bowl-winning team the Kansas City Chiefs.

Another alternate album cover revealed

Taylor used the acoustic portion of the evening to announce another (third!) album cover for the upcoming The Tortured Poets Department.

This edition of the vinyl features a new bonus track called The Albatross and fans are already looking into the possible meaning of the track name, noting the meaning of albatross goes beyond birds.

Alternate meanings fans found include: "something that causes persistent concern or anxiety" and "something that greatly hinders accomplishment".

Swift brings Sabrina Carpenter on stage

After Sabrina Carpenter gave up her warm-up act due to the weather delays, Swift brought her out on stage during the acoustic set.

Swift labelled it "a crime" that the crowd had missed out on Carpenter's set, delighting fans with a performance together instead.

"My incredibly talented, wonderful, gorgeous, hilarious, genius opening act Sabrina Carpenter," Swift said, welcoming the singer on stage.

"She heroically sacrificed her show which I think is a crime against Sydney and I think it needs to be fixed!"

Swift explained the song White Horse, from the album Fearless , is one that was important to Carpenter as a kid, so that's why they chose it to sing tonight.

Sitting at the piano together, eager fans noticed the performance was actually a medley with Coney Island . 

Fans are already flooding social media with a clip of Sabrina as a kid covering the track, reminding people to dream big.

Taylor Swift performs at Accor Stadium on February 23, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

The duo appear close with the singers spotted out to dinner together in Paddington earlier in the week .

'This is my favourite part of the night'

Taylor Swift wore her pink dress as she played her guitar for the "acoustic set", as she calls it.

"This is my favourite part of the night, the acoustic set," Swift said.

Fans have labelled this portion of the evening the "surprise song" section because the singer performs two tracks that are not on the usual set list and fans have turned it into a guessing game online ahead of each show.

Tonight's two song set kicked off with How You Get The Girl from the album 1989.

"Do you know how loud you're singing? It's so loud," Swift told the crowd during her first song.

Swift also took a moment to acknowledge the fans getting behind the chant during Blank Space on such an epic level moments earlier, during the 1989 Era.

"I was hoping you would and you did. That was so cool!"

So cool in fact, Swift sang a line from the song again for the crowd to chant one more time.

Why everyone's suddenly looking at Katy Perry

Swift has kicked off her 1989 Era in a beaded pink two-piece ensemble.

This set features sooo many hits from the album, originally released in 2014 - when the song Bad Blood was reportedly written about a feud with singer Katy Perry.

Flash forward 10 years and the duo have patched up their friendship, with Perry in the crowd tonight.

So everyone's looking to the audience for the I Kissed A Girl singer's reaction (after everyone dances to Shake It Off and Wildest Dreams first).

New pics in

New pics have dropped from earlier in the show - featuring Tay Tay in her Lover Era at the start of the show and then during her Evermore Era.

Taylor Swift performs at Accor Stadium on February 23, 2024 in Sydney, Australia

The Folklore cabin

Swift came out on stage for her Folklore Era in a white flowing dress.

She started the seven-song set by explaining to the crowd the origin of the Folklore cabin, which came about when she started writing the album two days into the pandemic (you know that 2020 thing!?!) because she wanted to create imaginary worlds.

The singer started with The 1 before performing crowd pleasers, such as the single Cardigan as well as Betty , Last Great American Dynasty and August.

Sick fan gets moment with star

Swift is in her Red Era on stage, which means a hat giveaway to one lucky fan, who this show was nine-year-old Scarlett from Perth who has been diagnosed with cancer.

It seems the singer and her team paid attention to Scarlett's stepmum's plea on social media, with the youngster selected from among the 81,000 fans to get the special souvenir - and people on social media were thrilled.

The singer, wearing the "a lot going on a the moment" T-shirt again, kicked off the set with 22 before handing over the part of her costume.

Then she launched into hit after hit, including We Are Never Getting Back Together (another big singalong moment), followed by I Knew You Were Trouble and All Too Well (10 Minute Version) .

Switching things up

After wearing her purple enchanted dress for the Speak Now Era for her Melbourne shows, Swift has opted to switch things up, wearing a blue ballgown for Sydney instead.

Both are couture dresses made by Nicole + Felicia, who produced three in total for the singer.

Taylor Swift performs at Accor Stadium on February 23, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

This blue gown was debuted at Swift's Los Angeles concert in August.

The singer performed the songs Enchanted and Long Live.

All eyes on Travis

Plenty of fans have been paying as much attention to Travis Kelce as they have been to Taylor Swift, with clips of the proud boyfriend popping up across social media.

The NFL star was dressed in blue shorts and and T-shirt, with his wrists full of friendship bracelets.

He arrived at the stadium with the singer's dad, Scott Swift (wearing black), and his friend Ross (in yellow).

A fan of the Aussie accent

Swift has revealed she's a fan of the Aussie accent, telling the crowd: "You pronounce my name cuter than anyone else in the world!"

The singer's now moved into her Reputation Era, starting with Ready For It? , then Delicate, Don't Blame Me , Look What You Made Me Do. 

'I wanted us to not lose touch'

Sitting behind her moss-covered piano during the set for her Evermore Era, Swift acknowledges it's been a while since she last played for a Sydney audience.

"Sydney is such a special place in my heart, so many special memories here," Swift started.

Explaining that "things got in the way" not long after her 2018 Reputation Tour (ahem, pandemic), the singer explained she tried to keep her fans entertained in other ways.

"I wanted us to not lose touch, so I put out as many albums as humanly possible," Swift said before listing off the albums that came after, including Lover , Folklore , Evermore and Midnights .

She used the opportunity to plug her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department before launching into the song Champagne Problems .

Accor Stadium lights up

Doesn't it look pretty!?

Celebrity audience members

It's not just Travis Kelce that fans have spotted in the VIP section at Accor Stadium.

Rita Ora and Taika Waititi have been seen watching the show and also Katy Perry - who was captured on camera swapping friendship bracelets with a random member of the audience.

Perry is in Sydney to play a private gig on Saturday night.

Singalongs in full swing

Swift briefly addressed the weather delays, telling the audience: "We had a little bit of a weather situation, a little bit of rain, but I have never known an Aussie crowd that let anything get in the way!" 

The 34-year-old then moved into her Fearless Ear, which includes some of Swift's biggest hits, such as You Belong With Me and Love Story - and the Sydney crowd is going off by singing along very loudly.

Taylor Swift takes the stage for her first Sydney show of the Eras Tour

Not quite the record-breaking crowds

After playing the biggest concert of her career last Friday night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with 96,000 people in the audience, the first Sydney show at Accor Stadium has 15,000 fewer people.

But Swift it still loving the crowd energy, telling them: "You're really making me feel like tonight I get to play a sold-out show for 81,000 people in Sydney!"

Taylor Swift takes the stage for her first Sydney show of the Eras Tour

Taylor is on stage

Swift has made her way out on stage - again popping up 10 minutes ahead of the 8pm start time.

She's hit the stage again in her Lover Era, starting with Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince, which moves into Cruel Summer . 

Travis spotted in the crowd

Travis Kelce has been spotted in the crowd wearing blue, watching his girlfriend alongside his mate Ross, who is dressed in yellow.

Sabrina skipped

The weather delays meant organisers have decided to skip Sabrina Carpenter's support act with keen fans noticing her band and equipment weren't out on stage when they finally were able to get inside the stadium.

Instead, to keep things tracking on-time, the line up has jumped straight to headliner, Swift, so that she doesn't have to cut any of her set list (which, let's face it, is the real reason everyone's there).

Weather delay

All day, ticketholders have waited anxiously to see if warnings of serious storms would come to fruition.

It appears the concerns have been founded, with the show's start time delayed due to weather.

A sign on display at Accor Stadium instructed attendees to "stay undercover until further notice".

However, there's a promising sign, with a rainbow above the stadium!

Sydney trains getting into the Swiftie spirit

Not even Sydney's public transport network can resist the lure of Swiftmania.

Fans are getting a kick out of boarding the "Tay Tay Express" as they make their way to Accor Stadium for the show.

Trains are playing Swift songs, and displaying some of her hit titles in place of usual Sydney train station names. 

Sydney's Central Station has also been decked out in celebration, with balloon arches and poster walls for fans to pose with.

Sydney's Central Station decorated for Taylor Swift's Eras shows.

Divide among Swifties after ticketing chaos

A plethora of fans have been bonding outside Accor Stadium as they line up for merchandise, but at 4.30pm, only some of them will be able to go through the gates.

For those forced to remain outside the stadium while they can hear all the excitement within, it's a bitter reminder of the ticketing chaos that's been intermittent since June.

Although there was a shortfall of millions when it came to ticketing supply, some lucky Swifties got tickets for multiple shows – which for others leaves a bitter taste in their mouths.

Taylor Swift

"I mean, each to their own, but there's so many people that wanted to come and couldn't," Jessie and Nick, who are going to the show tonight, told 9honey Celebrity's reporter on the ground Chantelle Bozicevic.

"I definitely think it's unfair. Like, there's people that have gone to every Melbourne and every Sydney show and there's so many people that missed out completely. It's a bit greedy. But, like, good for them."

sydney eras tour twitter

Nick called those with multiple tickets "the bad guys of The Eras Tour".

But Central Coast mother and daughter Sally and Charlotte, who failed to get any tickets, disagree with Jessie and Nick – they're just happy for anyone who gets to go.

'Hidden' merchandise tent with no lines revealed

Lines for the chance to buy Swift's merchandise from the three tents at the front of Accor Stadium have been absolutely packed, with some fans claiming it took them four hours to get to the front.

Swift fan Holly from Sydney told 9honey Celebrity's reporter on the ground, Chantelle Bozicevic, that she had been waiting since 7am, and finally made her purchase at 12.30pm.

Taylor Swift

According to Bozicevic, however, there's a fourth merchandise tent "hidden around the back" of the stadium with "barely any line".

That tent opens at 3pm, Bozicevic says security told her. But as of 2.30pm, the front three tents' lines had quietened right down.

Red Frogs have been handing out sunscreen and water to those waiting in line in the heat.

For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here .

sydney eras tour twitter

SES urges concertgoers to make safe and sensible decisions in severe weather

NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has urged those going to Sydney Olympic Park tonight to make safe and sensible decisions in the forecasted severe weather.

"We may see some very poor weather this afternoon and evening across parts of Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Illawarra, parts of the South Coast and eastern parts of the Southern Tablelands," Chief Superintendent Burnes said.

"The weather expected may make things like travelling hazardous, with high end heavy rain and flash flooding a possibility.

"We are working very closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to monitor the situation and will provide further warnings and updates to the community as required."

NSW SES has increased its rostered staff, incident management personnel and volunteers ahead of Swift and Blink-182's concerts tonight.

"The NSW SES is well prepared to provide assistance and respond to any damage these storms cause. We're preparing for an increase in incidents due to the expected heavy rainfall," he said.

He recommended installing the Hazards Near Me app, visit bom.gov.au or ses.nsw.gov.au for the latest weather advice, call NSW SES on 13 25 00 for emergency help in floods and storms, and in life threatening situations, call 000 immediately.

2GB prize phone line melts down during giveaway

Radio host Ben Fordham put out the call to listeners to give the prize line a ring this morning for a chance to win tickets, but the sheer volume of callers caused a meltdown for their phone line .

"The prize line has died, the prize line is no longer working," the Fordham said.

Ben Fordham Live! Content Director Luke Davis said the sheer volume of calls was "absolutely extraordinary".

"We've never seen anything like it," Davis told Fordham.

More tickets will be available throughout the day, fans just need to tune in 2GB radio and call in when they are prompted.

READ MORE: Why Taylor Swift fans are being urged to wear earplugs to her concerts

Taylor Swift

What time does Taylor Swift's Sydney concert start?

Before she stepped onto the MCG's stage last Friday, it was widely believed that Taylor Swift would start her set at 8pm.

She actually started her show at 7.30pm, which caught a slew of fans unaware while they were lining up for the bathroom, forcing them to rush through the stadium in a panic to get to their seats in time.

Accor Stadium's gates open at 4.30pm – there have actually been fans lining up outside the stadium to buy merch since this morning – and Sabrina Carpenter, Swift's opening act, is expected to start her portion of the show at 6.20pm.

COMPETITION: Win a $15,000 cruise holiday to see the Northern Lights

Set times are, however, subject to change without notice, so it's advised by Frontier Touring to get to the stadium early.

With a severe weather warning having been issued as well, this could see Swift's start time delayed or changed for safety issues – the stage, like it was for 10 minutes before her first Nashville show, might need to be squeegeed, after all.

Keep an eye on Frontier Touring and Accor Stadium's websites and social media pages for updates, though we'd like to emphasise once again that they have said set times could change without notice.

As it stands, Accor Stadium's website currently reads: "The show will play rain or shine. The only exception would be severe weather which could impact the safety of artists and patrons."

Which Taylor Swift Era are you? Click the image below and take the quiz to find out

Taylor Swift

A taste of what to expect tonight

One TikTok user shared footage from a sound check conducted at Accor Stadium on Thursday night, and it's safe to say that the concert tonight will be loud.

Here's what you need to know about preventing hearing damage at the concert .

Swifties, prepare for Uber chaos

Rideshare app Uber has issued a warning for Swifties wanting to order an Uber to Accor Stadium before and after Taylor's Sydney shows.

Almost 15,000 Uber trips were facilitated to and from the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) over the weekend, and the company expects Sydney to be even bigger.

Dom Taylor, Uber spokesperson, said in a statement: "With almost 5000 rides per show in Melbourne, Uber driver-partners have helped hundreds of thousands of fans 'Get Ready For It' and experience the Taylor Swift phenomenon.

"We're expecting that number to double as Taylor takes the stage in Sydney later this week."

Around 300,000 Swifties are expected to descend upon Accor Stadium for the four nights between February 23 to 26.

sydney eras tour twitter

Last-minute ticket grab for desperate Sydney fans

A little over 24 hours before Taylor Swift takes the stage in Sydney, Frontier Touring announced it was selling last-minute tickets to all four of her remaining shows Down Under.

Fans were quick to flood the comment section with messages about quick-fire sale, with some urging Sydney Swifties to try their luck.

READ MORE: How Sydney Taylor Swift fan's $160 ticket blew out to $1500

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of The Eras Tour.

"Good luck Sydney peeps. 16:00 this day a week ago I got 2x tickets for one of the #MelbourneTSTheErasTour Total cost was $140 and our kids got lifelong memories. Got to be in it to win it! Go for it!," one wrote.

"You better let me in today!!!" another joked.

Frontier has also confirmed physical tickets were available for this drop. An hour later, though, the ticket sale was exhausted.

However, Frontier gave us all another small ray of hope by revealing extra ticket drops may occur throughout the rest of the shows for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

"Please note, as mentioned in the post, late production releases may occur across show days. The best place to check this is the Ticketek website," Frontier said in a statement on X.

Sydney Eras Tour tickets

Remember the stadium rules

About 400,000 people are expected to flock to Sydney Olympic Park from Friday until Monday, with Blink 182 also performing. And there are some important rules we need to follow.

Bags need to be the size of an A4 sheet of paper, you can't bring in video cameras or equipment and phone chargers can't be bigger than the phone itself.

No outside food or beverages will be allowed inside the venue. However you will be permitted to bring an empty, soft plastic water bottle no bigger than 600ml.

You can find a full list of all the rules here.

Frontier Touring Taylor Swift

Weather warning for Friday's show

Swift fans heading to Accor Stadium for the first Sydney Eras Tour concert have been issued a weather warning.

Severe thunderstorms and rain are set to hit during Swift's three-hour show. "Severe thunderstorms are likely across eastern #NSW on Friday with damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall," BoM said on X (formerly Twitter).

Although a rainy performance might not be ideal, Swift has previously revealed she enjoys a rain-soaked show and rarely ever cancels, especially over a bit of wet weather .

Plus, it gives you a great excuse to whip out your bedazzled poncho for the evening.

Here's how to bejewel your poncho.

Taylor Swift

Taylor and Travis' romantic zoo date

Taylor Swift is such a fan of Aussie animals that she made a surprise visit to Sydney zoo in the city's west – not once, but twice.

The Lavender Haze singer was photographed enjoying the zoo and cuddling up to a koala on Wednesday, and she returned to Sydney Zoo on Thursday with her NFL star beau Travis Kelce in tow.

The couple walked hand-in-hand around the site during a private after-hours tour, where they met the koalas and fed kangaroos.

See the full story here.

Taylor Swift net worth graphic

How to access your tickets for Taylor Swift's Sydney shows

There is one thing Sydney ticketholders must do as soon as possible to ensure easy entry, a spokesperson for Ticketek warns.

"The most important message is to make sure that fans download the Ticketek app and add their ticket to their Google or Apple Wallet ASAP," the Ticketek spokesperson urges.

Click here for everything you need to know about how to access your Taylor Swift tickets .

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Taylor Swift in Sydney: Your guide to the Eras Tour

Get info on everything around taylor swift's sydney tour – from events to merch, show timings, setlists and transport, taylor swift sydney tour guide.

sydney eras tour twitter

The best Taylor Swift-related events and specials

From 'getaway carbs' at bottomless brunch, and Taylor-themed cakes, trivia and jet-boat rides, find out how to cure your Taylormania.

sydney eras tour twitter

Taylor Swift has released extra tickets for her Sydney shows

Stop everything – the day before Sydney shows start, Swift has released additional tickets.

sydney eras tour twitter

How to get Taylor Swift tickets in Sydney via resales

While avoiding ticket scams.

sydney eras tour twitter

Taylor Swift Accor Stadium Seating Map: Best Seats and Capacity for Sydney Eras Tour

  Accor Stadium has released a colour-coded map divided into seven main sections, plus five sub sections for the restricted-view areas.

sydney eras tour twitter

How to buy official Eras Tour merch in Sydney

Tay Tay is known for her quirky and prolific merch offerings, from cardigans to coffee cups.

sydney eras tour twitter

Everything you need to know about Taylor's Accor Stadium shows

From timings and set lists to the support act, and what you can and can't bring.

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The unofficial Eras tour: How unlucky Taylor Swift fans took matters into their own hands

Topic: Music (Arts and Entertainment)

Two women in sequin dresses with a dozen beaded bracelets each hold hands

Friendship bracelets and sequined dresses by the mile. ( ABC News: Jack Fisher )

For thousands of unlucky Swifties who couldn’t land tickets to the Eras tour, just being near their idol was — nearly — enough.

Sophie Morris applying mascara in a magnifying mirror.

For the past year, in cities all over the world, a routine has played out in millions of bedrooms and hotel rooms.

Makeup is carefully applied. Glitter is mandatory.

A pink cowboy hat on a bed

Outfits and accessories, chosen long ago, are carefully laid out.

a hand pulls back the elastic of a beaded friendship bracelet that reads This Love

Friendship bracelets are slipped onto wrists, with spares carefully packaged.

A woman sits on her bed brushing her hair with her dog. A rainbow tinsel jacket hangs off the door.

And the final touches are made before the look is complete.

To be a Swiftie in the Eras era is to commit, fully, and Sophie Morris has been preparing for months.

The 32-year-old has taken work off for the four-day duration of Taylor Swift's Sydney shows.

Her costume-maker sister spent around 80 hours constructing a rainbow version of the tinsel jacket Taylor wears during her performance of Karma.

And on Friday, the megastar's repertoire streamed from speakers, friends arrived breathless from the heat and cuvée was poured, as they got ready to join thousands of other Swifties at Sydney Olympic Park despite storm warnings.

She calls all this "manifesting" because despite hours of scouring Ticketek the one thing Sophie still needed was an actual ticket.

three people on a train holding a sign that reads buying one eras ticket

The Swift effect

Sophie's "fixation", as she calls it, began with the first Eras Tour show on March 17, 2023. Before then, she had been a casual fan, bopping along when her music played on the radio. Suddenly she found herself obsessively scrolling a TikTok awash with snippets from the concert, consuming every morsel she could find.

Taylor Swift was always huge, but now she was inescapable. And the mania was infectious: like a whirlpool, with every Easter egg, secret song reveal, or video of her new boyfriend — NFL player Travis Kelce if you've been under a rock — dancing in the wings, people with a passing interest in the pop star found themselves slowly dragged towards submersion.

When the Australian dates went on sale — after more than three months of Eras hype on TikTok — there was no question. Sophie had to go.

"Since the resale launched, I feel, truthfully, like it's become my full-time job," Sophie says. "I've made jokes that if I put this much energy into finding a boyfriend I'd probably have one."

Four million Australians tried to get Eras tickets when they first went on sale in June last year. Since then, many more have lined up physically and virtually for subsequent releases, desperate for a chance to see "mother" — as Taylor is called in some Gen Z circles — in the flesh.

Three tween in sequins pose for a photo on the platform at redfern station

To an outsider, the need to be there seems primal, the acute heartbreak of missing out spilling out in long social media posts.

But some Swifties who went up against the Ticketek Goliath and lost are taking matters into their own hands. On Friday evening, with resale ticket scams and scalping rife, they flocked to the stadium in search of a miracle.

"I've been of the mindset that if I give up, it won't happen … I just have to go in thinking I will go, and I'll manifest it," Sophie says. "Tickets or no tickets, there's still a huge group of people that all have one passion that have joined together for something."

While some remained hopeful they would find a way inside the security barricades, others just wanted to be there . They didn't need to see Taylor, but they'd hear her, and know that they are at least in the same rough geographical area as their hero. They were with their people. That was enough.

A woman in a rainbow tinsel dress on an otherwise unremarkable train platform

Into the Taylor-gate

As the Eras tour bounced across the US, a funny thing started to happen.

Amid sold-out shows and a fierce resale market, people started turning up, ticketless, to the sprawling car parks surrounding America's stadiums.

That people are tailgating, or "Taylor-gating" as it's come to be known, speaks to her influence. Typically this pastime is reserved for sporting matches — think beers and BBQ to toast a big win or drown a miserable loss. It's historically, certainly, not the purview of girls in glittery cowboy boots and sequin mini-dresses.

a woman holds a sign above her head in a crowd. It reads "Buying 1 Eras ticket"

It's 6.30pm when we arrive at Sydney's Olympic Park in Homebush, a complex built more than two decades ago to host an event of utmost national significance, and now primed for another one. (For anyone curious, more than 320,000 people have tickets to Taylor's four Sydney shows, while 112,000 were in the stands to cheer on Cathy Freeman's iconic gold medal win in the same stadium at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.)

It's a busy night for Homebush. Besides the Taylor crowd, punk-rockers Blink 182 have a concert in the neighbouring stadium, the contrast between the two acts rich material for a cheeky loudspeaker announcement: If someone's asking you "what's your age, again", Blink 182 is over there.

Besides the cultural melange on show, Taylor-gating looks a little different in Australia. For one, there are no sprawling car parks next to the venues (a subject rather unexpectedly canvassed in recent viral tweets ), so fans instead flock to the public spaces and parks that wrap around the stadiums. Eskys full of tinnies and camp BBQs are forbidden, as is any other alcohol thanks to strict no drinking rules.

A girl poses, pointing upwards in front of a merch stand

Instead, there are parents with young daughters sprawled out on picnic mats; couples with camp chairs; and sparkling groups of high-school friends carrying bulging bags of Taylor merch.

Live-streams are loaded on phones to make sure they know when it's about to start. Screams ring out from the stadium and the Taylor-gaters respond in unison. 

three teens gather around a phone to watch a countdown

"Is she actually on? Is she on? I'm going to cry, I'm a mess," says Keira, 16, one of four friends who had travelled from Sydney's south to be there. They weren't able to get tickets but say it's enough to "hear the echo of her voice" and "breathe the same air" as Taylor. "She's very inspiring, she's one woman and she literally brings this many people," her friend Chelsea, 17, says.

All they can see is a big concrete wall, but thanks to TikTok and impeccably timed stage direction, everyone who's here can visualise exactly what's happening: backup dancers are walking onto the stage, each one manoeuvring a giant lilac and orange fabric flag. When they're in position, they fold them over like closed petals, and when they open, Taylor appears as if by magic.

Girls put their hands to their moves in suprise

Inside, just a cruel few metres away, are about 80,000 Swifties who were lucky enough to snag tickets to the first Sydney show. On the pavement outside Accor stadium are the unlucky ones. Though you wouldn't know it.

As Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince transitions into Cruel Summer, the energy is that of a women's rest room on a good night out, magnified as though the bathroom was crammed with hundreds of people. Tears flow freely. Strangers are instantly best friends. Outfits are gushed over. Everyone is beautiful, gorgeous, stunning. There's not a bad vibe to be found.

None of this is surprising if you've visited Swiftie online fan spaces in the lead-up to her arrival. In one Facebook group dedicated to the local leg of the tour, for weeks people have been posting their Eras outfits as if they're one big group of gal pals getting ready for an event together: "Does this look Folklore enough?", "Any plus-sized girlies have any outfit ideas?", "Pic of what I'm wearing. Thoughts?". The hundreds of responses are invariably gushing and supportive.

The same group paused posting for 24 hours "out of respect" for a 16-year-old Swiftie who was killed and her 10-year-old sister who was injured in a car crash on her way to a Melbourne Eras show. A GoFundMe circulated in the group has so far raised more than $80,000 for the family. People made friendship bracelets bearing the 16-year-old's name to wear to the concerts in tribute.

It's this energy that led many Swifties to mill outside a stadium on an unpredictably stormy night for a show they don't have tickets for.

Two women clutch hands and smile at each other.

Mikaela, 18, who travelled from Townsville, and her friend Hannah, 22, are going to the Saturday show, but came a day early to soak up the atmosphere and trade friendship bracelets. "Everyone is so lovely and approachable, you can definitely tell the Blink 182 and Taylor crowds apart," Hannah says.

Nurses Michaela, 50, and Lorena, 25, trekked all the way from Brisbane. "We were devastated not to get tickets, but this is just as good, I'm grateful," Michaela says. "I wanted to climb the wall, I said we'd do our best, but I'm satisfied."

A woman in a pink sparkly dress stands with her arm around another woman wearing a sequined black dress.

The after-dark era

Inside the stadium, the first words of Love Story ring out. Is it Taylor that can be heard singing or the thousands of fans in the stands belting it out? It doesn't matter, outside, the crowd goes wild.

two girls scream and jump with emotion

For the entire length of the song, two sisters in Converse sneakers jump up and down, clutching each other's hands and embracing through sobs.

Two young women hold hands and look at each other.

When Taylor sings "he knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring" groups of girls literally drop to their knees.

A teen rests her head on her sister shoulder

Those 3.57 minutes were electric and cathartic and joyful and every emotion in between, and if you weren't already on board the Taylor train this would have tipped anyone into Swiftiedom.

The two sisters — Kelsey, 15, and Bianca, 13 — are from Perth and have tickets to the Sunday night show, but tonight they're there with their mum and grandmother "to get the most Taylor experience possible".

"Taylor Swift got me back into music, I fell out of love with it for a bit," Kelsey says. "It's so fun making friendship bracelets, and everyone is so nice and so lovely."

Closer to the front gate, another pair of sisters sit on a torn open rain poncho with their mother. Their wrists are stacked with friendship bracelets, their hair bedazzled, and their smiles beaming — despite their lack of tickets.

A woman and two teenage girls sit on the ground.

"We grew up with Taylor, we love her so much, we even have a calender of her in our room, and every day we're like, 'we will see you one day!'," Maralin, 13, and Evelin, 14, say.

The conversation is interrupted when another teenager walks over to complement the sisters' hair and trade friendship bracelets — a practice born out of lyrics in You're on Your Own, Kid from the Midnights album.

Teenagers trade friendship bracelets outside Taylor Swift in Sydney.

It's now around 9pm and we've entered the Speak Now era, one of Taylor's earlier albums but a later segment of the show.

"I was enchanted to meet you…" plays, the feverish crowd parts, and a woman in her Year 12 formal dress twirls in the centre.

A woman in a ball gown twirls in front of smiling onlookers.

Kirsten, the prom queen, says she's been waiting for this exact moment — and her audience, happy to give her the spotlight, looks on in awe.

A pop contagion

Religiously devoted fandoms are nothing new.

Almost 70 years ago, images of girls with their mouths agape, fists to their cheeks, as Elvis bucked and thrust on stage sent the world into a tailspin.

Then Beatlemania swept the globe, hitting Australia in the '60s when huge crowds camped outside their hotels in Sydney. Just last year, Harry Style's Australian tour sparked a noticeable boom in the feather boa industry .

Those same expressions are everywhere tonight — not in response to a sex symbol in tight pants, but to a singer who made a career writing songs about what it means to be a woman. 

The Eras tour has transcended the insularity of fandoms and given rise to a collective social-media-fuelled FOMO so great that even self-professed non-Swifties are shelling out hundreds of dollars just to be there .

Some Swifties are the first to tell you that it's not that serious, that they don't know how they ended up there, that social media got to them, too.

A girl in pink screams surrounded by dancing young people.

On Friday, though, what was serious was how much being part of the Eras tour meant to people in the moment, even if they couldn't put into words exactly why this 34-year-old American woman spoke to them so deeply.

A crowd of people dance outside.

It's why people flew across the country to stare at a stadium facade. It's why girls ran to hug their friends when the first notes of their favourite song played. It's why people spent hundreds on their outfits, and even more on plastic beads.

And it's why Sophie spent months trying to get tickets, only to have her wildest dreams realised minutes before Taylor was due to go on.

Half an hour after arriving at Homebush, her hand-drawn sign attracted two women whose friend couldn't make it at the last minute.

Woman in rainbow tinsel beams as she talks to two women

Ticket secured, she ran off to the stadium gate, shock still on her face.

"I was in shock the first hour so that part's a blur," she says, after the final fireworks had gone off. "The seats were better than I ever could have imagined, it was absolutely worth the effort."

A woman in a sparkly coat stands inside a stadium.

Words: Maani Truu

Photographs: Jack Fisher

Editor: Leigh Tonkin

  • X (formerly Twitter)

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    Taylor Swift is set to depart Australia for the next leg of the Eras Tour in Singapore, leaving her new favourite haunt, Sydney Zoo, and all of her devastated Aussie fans behind.

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  7. Taylor Swift Setlist at Accor Stadium, Sydney

    Get the Taylor Swift Setlist of the concert at Accor Stadium, Sydney, Australia on February 23, 2024 from the The Eras Tour and other Taylor Swift Setlists for free on setlist.fm!

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    For thousands of unlucky Swifties who couldn’t land tickets to the Eras tour, just being near their idol was — nearly — enough.