Long lines to purchase merchandise days in advance during snowy conditions. Countless admirers, including those from abroad, packed the Tokyo Dome’s 55,000 seats as they excitedly swapping handmade bracelets.
This is the Taylor Swift phenomenon, the frenzy that has engulfed the pop sensation as she gets ready to play four nights of completely sold-out shows in Tokyo and then possibly return to Las Vegas to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play for the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Swift’s multi-continental extravaganza, Eras Tour, which has the potential to become the highest-grossing tour in history, began its Tokyo leg on Wednesday evening and will conclude on Saturday night.
Before the doors opened on the first night on Wednesday, the Tokyo Dome’s exterior was crowded with fans
March 2023 saw the debut of the Eras Tour, which is scheduled to run through December 2024.
Large lines of people waited outside in the snow and sleet on Monday as tour organizers started selling tour souvenirs at the Tokyo Dome, including sweatshirts and hoodies bearing Taylor’s name.
A fan who belongs from Philippines, traveled to Tokyo by plane posted on TikTok about her 2.5-hour wait in line in subfreezing temperatures.
In addition, fans have prepared by engaging in customs that have long since become accepted practices within the Swiftie community: creating custom friendship bracelets to exchange with other concertgoers, rehearsing crowd chants, and selecting carefully tailored Taylor-themed attire.
“What we’ve seen with the Taylor Swift tour is something that we haven’t really seen before,” informed Bernstein investment firm analyst Richard Clarke. “Everyone seems to want to go to this well-timed post-Covid event, which is sort of a cultural event.”
Because the tour has been so well-liked, he continued, “people have discovered that their local markets are frequently sold out and have started to travel to other markets in an attempt to find tickets.” “I’m confident that Asia will experience the same thing.”
One attendee reported hearing multiple Asian languages spoken inside the stadium on Wednesday, demonstrating how diverse the crowd was. But then Swift showed up, the music started, and tens of thousands of people started singing along to her songs in unison.
Swift will return or not for Super Bowl
Then there is the question of whether or not Taylor Swift will arrive back in Las Vegas in time for Super Bowl Sunday, considering the lengthy flight and the significant time difference. This has prompted fans all over the world to create spreadsheets, timelines, and even PowerPoint presentations in order to keep track of her journey.
Swift has been a frequent attendee of Kansas City Chiefs games ever since she showed up at Kelce’s family suite in September of the previous year to watch the Chiefs play against the Chicago Bears. Later, in different interviews, the couple acknowledged that they had already started dating before that game.
Japan’s “land of the rising sun” status helps Swift. As one of the first countries west of the international dateline, it is 17 hours ahead of Las Vegas.
Swift will finishes her last concert on Saturday night local time, which is early dawn in Las Vegas, giving her plenty of time before the Super Bowl on Sunday night.