Die-hard Taylor Swift fans have been camping out for more than five months ahead of the singer’s next live show – and have even created rankings to decide who is the biggest fan.
The pop megastar returns to her blockbuster Eras Tour this week after a three-month break, kicking off the international leg at the Estadio Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Thursday.
After fighting to get tickets, around 240 fans have decided to camp outside the stadium, with Swifties setting up a points system and imposing strict rules on those wanting to camp.
Four tents, each assigned about 60 people, are included in the system, while two organizers run things with a spreadsheet.
Most people camping are young women, although anyone under 18 is prohibited.
Die-hard Taylor Swift fans have been camping out for more than five months ahead of the singer’s next live show – and have even created rankings to decide who is the biggest fan. One fan is pictured on TikTok
The pop megastar returns to her blockbuster Eras Tour this week after a three-month break, kicking off the international leg at the Estadio Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Thursday
The pop megastar returns to her blockbuster Eras Tour this week after a three-month break, kicking off the international leg at the Estadio Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Thursday
Each person is ranked based on the time spent in the tent. Rules include staying in the tent for a minimum of 60 hours per month, including one night.
Extra points are given for camping during a storm.
A convenience store and gas station nearby are used to get water, snacks and bathroom breaks.
One fan named Carmen shared it Pitchfork she had spent 300 hours – or twelve and a half days – in the tent.
‘What should I do with so much time at home, now that I don’t have to spend all day in a tent making friendship bracelets? Become a normal person again?’ she added.
Another revealed that she lies to her father about going to the joint between her university classes and a part-time job.
But it’s not all fun and games, passersby shout ‘go to work’ and ‘vagos’ (slang for ‘lazy’) and the campers.
“People are very angry that we’re camping for some reason,” Carmen added.
Each person is ranked based on the time spent in the tent. Rules include staying in the tent for a minimum of 60 hours per month, including one night. The tents are shown
The rules were leaked online last month, explaining that campers must be indoors 60 hours a month
“Sometimes you’re lying down and you hear someone yelling, ‘Go to work!’ at 2am. It’s like, “You’re the one yelling outside a tent at two in the morning. Don’t you have to work tomorrow? Does it really affect you that much? I’m the one sleeping on the floor.” street, not you”‘.
However, football fans entering the stadium were vocal against the Swifties, shouting at them and calling them a ‘curse’, but they say there were no major disturbances.
On match days there is usually a police officer guarding them to ensure safety.
Some have even seen the business opportunity and are camping on behalf of other Swifties.
Two girls – Debora and Sofia – charge 700 Argentine pesos per hour (about €1.64) to camp. They currently have four customers.
The lucrative Eras Tour will earn the star a whopping $4.1 billion (£3.4 billion) – the most any artist has ever earned from a single tour in history.
The singer’s earnings solely from her global tour are the equivalent of the economic output of 42 countries, according to estimates of her wealth from Peter Cohan, associate professor of management at Babson College, cited by the Washington Post.
It comes after a dispute over ticket sales earlier this year.
Fans have spoken to local media about their time in the queue (pictured)
The lucrative Eras Tour will earn the star a whopping $4.1 billion (£3.4 billion) – the most any artist has ever earned from a single tour in history
Ticketmaster has come under fire for repeatedly changing its policies ahead of the UK and international legs of the highly anticipated tour.
In the US, Swift herself said she was ‘p***** off’ on the website after bots bought up the majority of the tickets.
In Britain, Cardiff MP Kevin Brennan said he was “shocked” to see tickets being advertised on resale sites within an hour of going on sale.
‘As the father of a Swiftie, and I know that my esteemed friend the Deputy Shadow Leader of the House is also the mother of a Swiftie, I was shocked to see that within an hour of tickets going on sale for the Taylor Swift Concert at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, a ticket was on sale in the lower level for £3,352,” he said during business questions in the commons.
Fans are furious about the changes, as Ticketmaster did not list the tour as a ‘main booker’ event at the time of pre-sale.
Tickets for Taylor’s UK shows appeared within minutes of the general sale release on platforms including Stubhub and viagogo, with a lower bowl seat for the Blank Space singer’s concert at London’s Wembley Stadium next year priced at more than £9,800.
Fans pointed out how tickets with a face value of £170 were being sold for almost £3,000, slamming the scalpers and so-called ‘mean’ fans for buying extra tickets and ‘selling them on for a profit’.
But experts say the gold rush for Taylor tickets has revealed how ‘sophisticated bots have become’ and how they can use ‘residential proxies’ in Britain to circumvent the sales platform’s protective measures.