More than 60,000 fans attended Taylor Swift’s first concert of her Eras Tour at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Fans expressed their excitement and dedication to the pop superstar, with some paying over $8,000 for tickets and others travelling without tickets just to listen outside. However, one woman was turned away with fake tickets, causing distress after booking a flight from Florida with her young children. Despite the bubbly crowd, New Jersey State Police were present to ensure safety. The concert will take place two more times over the weekend before Swift moves on to the next city.
In light of the recent report by CBS2 News, more than 60,000 Taylor Swift fans made their way to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the pop superstar’s Eras Tour. The first concert went fairly well, with a sparkly sequins wave crashing at the gates of the stadium. “I literally have waited my whole life for this,” one fan said. “This is our Super Bowl,” another said.
Fans packed the rails of NJ TRANSIT and filled the parking lots to “Taylor-gate.” “Lots of people in sparkles, in crowds. You don’t know where to go,” ticketholder Sonali Kalvala said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we owe it to her. She fought for us,” one fan said. “I had like four laptops. I was in a work meeting. Sorry to my boss. I was listening, but I was determined to get it, and I’m so happy we did.”
However, not everyone was able to secure tickets early. “We paid a little over $8,000 for three tickets,” said Ali Errington of Florida. One group drove from Maryland without any tickets at all. “We’re just gonna stay outside and listen,” one fan said. It wasn’t all smiles, as CBS2 found one woman turned away with phony tickets. “I booked a flight from Florida to New York with my 2- and 1-year-old — I’m getting emotional — and literally got scammed for $300 dollars a ticket,” Marisella Lafata said.
Despite the bubbly crowd, New Jersey State Police weren’t taking any chances. “Our special operations units are here, our K-9 units, aviation units,” Capt. Dante Rucco said. Police were warning traffic around the stadium was expected to be very slow when the concert let out, and the MetLife staff only has to do it two more times this weekend before Swift sets off to the next city.
For these fans, no matter how long it took to save up, dress up, and drive here, it’s where they belong. “She’s a really good singer, and I really want to be a singer when I grow up,” one fan said. “We reek of hairspray and glitter, but it’s all worth it,” another said.
Ali Bauman, a general assignment reporter for CBS2 News, covered the event. She joined the news team in 2016.
