When Taylor Swift first played in Melbourne 15 years ago, it was to an audience of 900. This week in the city, the US megastar performs for a quarter of a million.
Love her or hate her, there’s no denying it: Australia is in the thick of Swiftmania. Leading up to the hotly anticipated Australian leg of Swift’s Eras Tour, Melbourne was lit up with it all, from a Swift-themed academic symposium to a pop-up merchandise stand at Crown, to a projection on Flinders Street Station welcoming Swifties to town – with the clock striking 13, naturally.
It feels historic. What other musician has inspired this level of fanaticism since, dare I say it, the Beatles? We’re talking seismic impacts from cheering at her shows, and the growing practice of Taylor-gating, in which ticketless fans gather outside the stadium to listen in and sing along together.