Tens of thousands of Swifties will flock to Melbourne this week for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
To accommodate the influx, the Victorian Government has announced it will add hundreds of train services and extend the free tram zone to the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
With an estimated capacity of 86,000 people at the MCG, tens of thousands of fans will pass through the city over the three days of concerts: Friday, February 16 to Sunday, February 18.
Officials are pushing for the use of public transport, with the MCG stadium within walking distance of Richmond, Jolimont and Flinders Street stations.
Concert organizers have worked with the Department of Transport and Planning to arrange extra capacity on many of the services, including regional lines.
Tens of thousands of Swifties will flock to Melbourne this week for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and the Victorian Government has announced it will add hundreds of train services and extend the free tram zone to the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Image: Taylor Swift, Tokyo, February 2024)
Active and Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said the Eras Tour would have the same impact as “three AFL grand finals in a row”, and the government urged attendees to plan ahead.
“We’ve added hundreds of extra train and free tram services over the three days to get Swifties to the shows as easily and safely as possible,” she said.
Preparations are already underway at the MCG, including setting up the stage that Swift will use during the concert.
MCG chief executive Stuart Fox described the organizational process as ‘just enormous’.
With an estimated capacity of 86,000 people at the MCG, tens of thousands of fans will pass through the city over the three days of concerts: Friday, February 16 to Sunday, February 18.
Concert organizers have worked with the Department of Transport and Planning to arrange extra capacity on many of the services, including regional lines. (Photo: Melbourne’s cricket ground)
‘When creating the seating plan we obviously have people on the lawn, but it’s really about the stage production – 70 semi-trucks coming onto your site is quite confronting, and you have six days of preparation, three concerts on Friday, Saturday, Sunday evening , two or three days of packing,” he said.
There will be disruption to services on the Frankston and Belgrave railway lines, with replacement buses on the disrupted routes.
Stations closed include Narre Warren, Keon Park, Croydon and Parkdale.
Meanwhile, eager Swifties are already queuing at the MCG to get their hands on official Taylor Swift merchandise, days before the star’s first show on Friday. (Image: a Swiftie with an official tour poster)
Earlier this week, Frontier Touring reopened ticket sales on Tuesday with ‘limited’ numbers available for the pop superstar’s shows in Melbourne and Sydney, but warned fans they will have a ‘limited’ view of the stage
To plan accurately and check for any disruptions during the night, use the PTV app or check for disruptions on ptv.vic.gov.au/taylorswift or 1800 800 007.
In the run-up to the event, police are also warning of scammers who will try to steal people’s money by selling them fake tickets to the concert.
“Scammers target fans with counterfeit ticket sales via social media, often hacking into individuals’ accounts and then using the profiles to sell counterfeit tickets to the victim’s friends,” Victoria Police Cybercrime Squad said.
“Check it once, then twice. Maybe they’re trying to convince you to buy the tickets and pay money for them.’
Meanwhile, eager Swifties are already queuing at the MCG to get their hands on official Taylor Swift merchandise, hoping to avoid the long queues at Taylor’s first concert on Friday.
Earlier this week, Frontier Touring reopened ticket sales on Tuesday with ‘limited’ numbers available for the pop superstar’s shows in Melbourne and Sydney, but warned fans they will have a ‘limited’ view of the stage.
Items such as T-shirts, hoodies, bags and posters are all for sale in the official merchandise tent