Swiftmania Sweeps Melbourne off its Feet

Forget about cyclones, typhoons, tornadoes and hurricanes. There’s a unique type of storm that has gripped Australia and it is called Swiftmania. Pop music icon Taylor Swift kicked off the Australian leg of her Eras World Tour on Friday, February 16, 2024 and that too, to her largest crowd yet. Ticket-holders amounting to 96,000, flooded the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to partake of the momentous occasion. 

The audience volume stood in stark contrast to Swift’s first performance in the city 15 years ago, which attracted a mere 900 fans. And it wasn’t just the star’s appearance and performance that visitors were scrambling for. Long queues formed 5 hours before the show’s opening to buy Swift merchandise. These purchasable collectables included everything from hoody jumpers to crewneck sweaters to tank-tops to ornate bracelets. 

The prolific and multi-award winning singer-songwriter, who has no trouble projecting her voice to millions of listeners, was momentarily left speechless by her audience’s magnitude at the MCG. But then the astonishment shifted to the show’s attendees who were treated to projected imagery, mesmerising fireworks and of course, their hero’s mellifluous voice. Taylor’s record-crushing 2-year world tour began in Glendale, Arizona on March 17, 2023 and will conclude at Vancouver, Canada on December 8th, this year.

The template of the 34-year-old’s shows includes 44 numbers from her 10 studio albums (recorded over her 18-year career), with each set lasting a total of three and a half hours. The WION Global Indian news channel elicited enthusiastic sound bytes from fans. “The main thing that got me into her was probably the lyrics...,” exclaimed 21-year old Kendra Harris. “... and how I can relate them to so many different situations”. Those who were unable to get tickets collected outside the venue en masse, calling themselves “Taylor-gaters”.

In anticipation of the shows, fans have been preparing unique tributes to their Pop goddess. These include the crafting of Swift-themed friendship bracelets, offbeat outfits and practicing “fan chants” to punctuate Taylor’s each song performance. After last weekend’s phenomenal trio of shows in Melbourne, Taylor wraps up her tour Down Under with four epic evenings in Sydney between February 23th and 26th. But even though ticket sales estimate audiences of 80,000 per show, it seems that forecasted thunderstorms might upstage the superstar! Fans will be hoping and praying that the only force of nature that blows them away is... Taylor.