Welcome to the World of Swifties: Fans Overcome Adversity to Attending Taylor Swift Concerts
LONDON – For Herve Tram, being a Taylor Swift fan isn’t just about the music. The 28-year-old computer network engineer from Paris sees himself as part of a community, one of the Swifties as they are known. So when the pop superstar’s shows in Vienna were canceled last week because of a terror threat, Tram took a small personal step: He gave away two extra tickets to her upcoming concerts in London to two fans who missed the chance to see their guiding light in the Austrian capital.
“That’s the power of this fandom,’’ Tram said. “We look (out) for each other.’’
The community of Swift fans, who have flocked to stadiums around the world to see the 3 1/2-hour shows on her Eras Tour and sing along with songs they know by heart, have been shaken in recent days. But none of that has damped fans’ enthusiasm to see Swift during five shows Thursday through Tuesday at London’s Wembley Stadium that will close out the European leg of the Eras Tour. The fans want to wear Swift-inspired outfits, swap handmade friendship bracelets and, of course, dance.
Meagan Berneaud, 30, of Columbus, Ohio, has been a Swift fan since she was 13. Berneaud had second thoughts about traveling to London after recent events reminded her of the 2016 terror attack at Ohio State University. But she decided to go and even set up a thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, to connect fans who missed the Vienna shows with people who were willing to sell or give away tickets to the London concerts.
Presila Koleva, 26, a design engineer from Cambridge, England, had been looking forward to seeing Swift in Vienna for more than a year, buying a copy of a green dress that Swift wears during the Folklore set on the Eras tour and making 30 bracelets to trade with other fans. She was heartbroken when the shows were canceled. But then she connected with Tram, who gave her one of his tickets. That dress will be worn.
The enthusiasm of Swift’s fans and a set list that includes more than 40 songs from all phases of her career have helped make the Eras Tour the biggest revenue earner of all time. Demand for the London concerts shows no signs of slacking, with ticket prices hitting thousands of pounds on unregulated sites.
Security is a concern, but organizers have promised “additional ticket checks” at the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium to ensure safety. London’s Metropolitan Police Service has also assured that lessons from past incidents have been learned to prevent any mishaps.
Tracy Halliwell, the head of tourism for Visit London, said, “You’ll see there is a higher police presence on the ground and that’s really just to make sure that everything … runs smoothly.”
For his part, Tram is focused on what the fans can do. “Fans will show they are not afraid. And like Taylor said, we are fearless.”
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