A mega fan who went to two of Taylor Swift‘s Melbourne shows has offered her ‘must-know’ advice for those attending the Sydney Eras concerts this weekend.
Lucy Wilson shared her tried and tested tips with Sydney Swifties so they can get the most out of their upcoming Eras experience
She recommended ways to stay warm and comfortable all night, buy merchandise without the queues and get the most out of their phone battery during the mammoth event.
Lucy also suggested wearing earplugs to reduce hearing damage and double-check what ticketholders can and can’t bring into the venue.
The fan also reminded those going to one of Swift’s four Sydney shows to ‘live in the moment’ and not get caught up trying to film everything on their phone.
THE RIGHT TIME TO BUY MERCHANDISE
Lucy said those wanting to get a piece of coveted Taylor Swift merchandise should visit the stalls set up outside Accor stadium in the days leading up to the first show.
‘The MCG had two on the Wednesday and the Thursday and I went to the Wednesday one. I didn’t even have to line up there was no one there,’ she said in a TikTok video.
‘Because we did that we didn’t have to get there at four or whenever the gates opened.’
However in Sydney, the merchandise tents have already popped up outside the venue with thousands of Swifties already queuing.
Some were in the line as early as 4am prompting organisers to open the stalls an hour before planned at 10am.
WHAT TIME TO GET THERE
At the Melbourne show, some keen Swifties got to the MCG when the gates opened at 4:30
However, Lucy said she said it will be fine to wait until closer to 6pm before Sabrina Carpenter, the support act, takes the stage.
‘Because you have reserved seats, I don’t think you need to get there at four,’ she said.
‘Both nights I got there around 6pm, so about 20 minutes before, Sabrina came on and we were fine.’
Mega Swiftie Lucy Wilson has revealed her best tips and tricks for those going to Taylor Swift’s upcoming Sydney shows after she attended two of the Melbourne Eras concerts
KNOW HOW TO SCAN YOUR TICKET
Lucy said while the rules may be different at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, she said one annoying detail caused confusion and delay at the gates of the MCG.
She explained those with their tickets on the Ticketek app or as an email attachment will have a barcode that can be scanned at the gates.
However, those who add their ticket to their Apple wallet can tap their phones like they do with a myki or PayPass.
‘A lot of people were getting confused with that so it was holding up the line,’ Lucy said.
WHAT BAG TO BRING
Accor Stadium is only allowing patrons to bring in one bag no larger than an A4 piece of paper.
Lucy said she was permitted to bring in her Taylor Swift tote bag which is slightly larger and even fit in a second pair of shoes, jumper and leggings inside.
She said security didn’t do many bag checks as it would have slowed the 96,000 people getting into the stadium but reminded Sydney Swifties to double-check the Accor Stadium conditions of entry to be sure.
Lucy wore a stunning cream corset with a beaded fringe and pleated skirt to one show and recommended people bring a comfy change of clothes and a jumper to keep warm
WHAT TO WEAR
Those lucky enough to secure Eras tickets have been planning their outfits for months with many sequinned others with corsets and some styled with heeled cowboy boots.
Lucy wore a stunning cream corset with a beaded fringe and pleated skirt but said her top started to get uncomfortable during Taylor’s three-hour-long set.
She recommended bringing a change of comfy clothes or shoes if your outfit starts to impede your enjoyment of the show or for the long train ride home.
‘The first night, I took my corset off and just put a jumper on because my back was hurting. If your outfit’s uncomfortable think about those things,’ she suggested.
‘First night my shoes really hurt so I was just in my socks but the second night I brought Birkenstocks and that was just the best.’
Lucy said those who are seated high up in the stands should consider bringing a jumper to keep warm.
‘I would definitely bring a jumper. I get really cold easily but when we were in the nosebleeds – very cold – it was really windy and also for walking home,’ she said.
‘If you can, I’d bring comfy clothes for the train ride home. For the first night trained home by myself and I was cold and uncomfortable.’
Lucy said she was permitted to bring in her Taylor Swift tote bag which is slightly larger than the A4 size requirements and even fit in a spare pair of shoes, jumper and leggings inside
PROTECT YOUR EARS
Lucy said she would wear ear plugs if she could do the night over again because the crowd, not the music, was so loud.
‘The second night my friend and I looked at each other and we were like, ‘Oh my god’, we had to block our ears, it hurt. I would get earplugs, it can damage your ears,’ she said.
‘(That) was only for the Champagne Problems applause, not the whole concert but even so just because it’s not hurting doesn’t mean it’s not damaging.’
NON-PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS ARE PERMITTED
Lucy said she wanted to bring her Canon G7 X digital camera into the venue but wasn’t sure if it would be permitted.
‘It said no professional cameras but it did say you could bring digital cameras so people weren’t sure. I didn’t think you could but also they don’t check your bags,’ she said.
‘From what I comprehended, you can bring in a digital camera or a Canon G7 X or anything along those lines, just no professional cameras with interchangeable lenses.’
Accor Stadium guidelines say small hand-held cameras are allowed but professional photography equipment as well as selfie sticks, drones, flashlights, laptops, tablets or digital readers are barred.
Lucy filmed her favourite songs but said not to watch the show through a screen: ‘I don’t want to spend the whole time filming, I want to live in the moment’
BE TECH SAVVY
Lucy strongly recommended bringing a small portable charger for smartphones so the battery life lasts all night.
Only personal chargers smaller than the size of your phone are permitted so best to leave large battery packs at home.
She also said to clear out your phone’s storage before the show so there’s plenty of room to capture all your favourite songs.
‘I have iCloud storage which helped but because it wasn’t on WiFi it wasn’t updating and I kept running out of phone storage,’ Lucy said.
‘My phone got really overwhelmed and it wouldn’t turn on during 1989, it just froze and I couldn’t fix it.’
Even though Lucy filmed lots of the show herself she said it’s important not to watch the show through a screen.
‘Be in the moment and enjoy yourself. Think to yourself, when you go to concerts and you film the whole thing, do you actually watch them back?’ she asked.
‘You might be a person who does that and in that case, film it all, but I was thinking I don’t usually watch the videos back and I don’t want to spend the whole time filming, I want to live in the moment.’
She said she filmed a few introductions, choruses and bridges from a handful of her favourite songs but most enjoyed herself when dancing and not being preoccupied with recording.
‘It was one of those concerts where I was like, ‘Would I rather have it on film to look back on or would I rather make everything of it in the moment?’ And that was what I went with.’
TikTokS
