ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
By ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
IT’S me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.
Yes, Taylor, you were the problem, causing unprecedented demand on Ticketek after announcing five shows across Sydney and Melbourne and sending Swifties into screaming, crying, perfect storms.
The Ticketek at Morwell Newsagency was wholly inundated as Latrobe Valley Swifties flocked to the store for their tickets.
Taylor Swift created quite a stir last week after she announced an Australian leg to her Eras Tour headed to the country in February 2024.
The state government even stepped in, marking the Swift concert as a significant event and enforcing anti-scalping laws.
T-Swift broke records in Australia, with four million people trying to get a ticket over the course of Wednesday; there was also a reported 800,000 in the Ticketek queue at once. Only 2.4 per cent of Australians would have gotten tickets, leaving the rest of us high and dry waiting until Friday.
With two new shows announced due to demand, Swifties across the country who missed out on presale and last Wednesday’s release, were given a second chance on Friday, June 30.
Like a ‘soldier who’s returning half her weight,’ fans returned to Ticketek on Friday at 2pm and even earlier.
Kaitlyn Beckett, a certified ‘super-fan’, secured tickets for four shows in Melbourne and Sydney.
Ms Beckett was in a Lavender Haze as Morwell Newsagent Ray Burgess announced he found two tickets for her at the Sydney show.
“When (Taylor Swift) first announced (her Australian tour), we saw on Twitter the night before a rumour that she would announce it … we were freaking out quite a bit,” she said.
“Melbourne on Friday, and then I’ll be going to the Saturday show with my best friend Shania, whom I met through Taylor like 10 years ago in a Taylor Swift group, and after that, we’ll be flying to Sydney to do the Sunday and Monday shows.”
Having got to witness Taylor in the flesh in 2018 on her Reputation tour, Ms Beckett was always set on seeing her again.
“Expecting” the chaos of getting tickets, Ms Beckett said the online lottery type of ticketing was fair as she’d “rather it would be randomised rather than knowing 800,000 people we’re in front of me.”
When asked what about Taylor attracts so many people to her and her music, Ms Beckett said absolutely everything.
“She is really versatile, she has gone through so much herself, she was our age once, she has gone through so much, and things we haven’t. She caters to everyone, she has good energy. Just everything about her,” she said.
Mr Burgess reported a “hectic” few days as Swifties came to fulfil their wildest dreams in scoring a ticket to her show.
Walking into the Morwell newsagent that Friday afternoon, a 20-people long line of Swifties waited anxiously for their turn to purchase tickets.
Some die-hard fans arrived as early as 5.30 am Friday morning to secure a place early in the queue.
“We’ve seen shows that have had a lot of demand but not this size,” Mr Burgess said.
“Every mum and their nanna and their nanna’s dog wants to buy a ticket.
“This better make me the father of the year,” said one high visibility-clad man, who may or may not have been buying the tickets for himself.
There was tears of joy and cries of excitement as, one by one, people went up to the service desk and bought their tickets for the Sunday, February 18 show next year, singing ‘you belong with me’.
At the time of writing, Frontier Touring reported that Friday and Saturday Melbourne shows were entirely sold out, and by 4pm, two hours after the Friday release, Morwell was all sold out.
“It’s disappointing for those who don’t get it because they’re all excited,” Mr Burgess said.
Many huge Taylor fans have been left without their love story as shows have now sold out.
Taylor’s concert ticket hunt makes an excellent case for the need of bricks and mortar stores; waiting in line in a store and feeling like you’re getting somewhere gave some visual and physical hope of getting a ticket as opposed to waiting tirelessly with hundreds and thousands of others in a ‘blank space’ of a continuously refreshing page.
Resale tickets will be the next option for those desperate to see Taylor live.
