Taylor Swift fans slammed for ‘shameless’ and controversial act just hours before her first concert in Australia
A pair of Taylor Swift fans have been called out for asking strangers to raise money for fuel during their 900-mile journey to attend her concert.
Superfans Emily and Gemma drove from Lismore, NSW, through three Australian states to see the 14-time Grammy winner at Melbourne’s MCG.
On the back window of their vehicle, they placed a PayID number for donations with the message: ‘1500 KMs to Taylor Swift. #2 broke Girls.’
However, some Australians criticized fans for essentially begging for money when a photo of the car’s rear window was shared on Facebook.
One woman called it “embarrassing and shameless.”
“I’m not here to argue or insult Taylor Swift or her fans,” she explained.
‘I just want to emphasize how embarrassing and shameless it is to ask others for money to go to a concert because they can’t afford it.
“No, you don’t have to donate to them, but it’s wild to ask for donations when everyone is struggling right now.”
“If she can afford Taylor Swift, she can afford bloody gas,” a second agreed.
Taylor Swift’s superfans gave out a PayID number to strangers to donate towards their fuel
Emily (pictured) and her friend Gemma embarked on a 1500km journey up the east coast to attend Taylor Swift’s first Australian concert in Melbourne on Friday
Others, however, were more sympathetic to the fans.
“Work smarter, not harder,” one person wrote.
“I should have done this, we just drove to Melbs from Brisbane,” said another.
A third said: ‘I love how you guys pretend to rob people when in fact you all have free choice.’
One woman said she donated money to the couple.
‘This is hilarious. I have money for adults, so I sent them some. I hope they have fun,” said another.
The fans shared photos of their luggage and bejeweled costumes in the backseat of the car
Meanwhile, thousands of excited Swifties, decked out in cowboy boots, glittery outfits and friendship bracelets, have converged on the MCG for the show.
The crowd at the MCG is expected to reach 260,000 people over three nights.
The shows in Melbourne will be followed by four sold-out concerts at Accor Stadium in Sydney from next Friday.
As of Friday, lines were long at merchandise stores and fans have the green light to line up at the gates for the ticketed event from 2:30 p.m.
Stadium operators previously pleaded with fans without tickets to stay away from the parkland surrounding the venue, amid concerns that people would gather and cause safety concerns.
The Eras tour covers every phase of Taylor Swift’s career in over three hours of concerts, from her Speak Now album to Reputation and the more recent Midnights.
Eras Tour excitement has arrived in Melbourne as fans of pop megastar Taylor Swift flocked to the MCG for the first concert of her Australian tour
As of Friday, lines were long at merchandise stores and fans have the green light to line up at the gates for the ticketed event from 2:30 p.m.
Fans queued and waited on websites for hours to get their hands on coveted tickets to the show, with a second last-minute release on Thursday and the promise of more tickets to be released on show days.
The concerts are expected to provide an economic boost to Victoria and NSW, with Swifties booking interstate and overseas flights and hotels.
Melbourne’s free tram zone has been extended to the MCG, with additional train, tram and bus services running on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Concertgoers from regional Victoria were urged to make alternative arrangements as some V/Line rail staff staged another round of strike action on Friday, but services returned to normal by late morning.
The area around the MCG is expected to be busy on concert nights, with surrounding roads closed, in addition to A-League Men matches at nearby AAMI Park on two nights and NBL at John Cain Arena on Saturday.