Never underestimate the determination of a Swiftie.
Devoted fans of Taylor Swift who weren’t able to get tickets to her Eras Tour have resorted to tailgating outside the New Jersey stadium where Swift is performing this week.
The MetLife stadium where Swift is playing, along with state authorities, have already gotten involved. On Friday, MetLife released in a statement on social media stating fans will be barred from entering the stadium parking lot if they do not have a ticket to the concert.
New Jersey State Police echoed the sentiment on social media.
“Sorry Swifties – No Ticket, No Taylor-Gating,” read their Instagram post. “Only patrons with concert tickets for the day of the event will be granted access to the parking lots. Tickets will not be sold at the stadium.”
With ticket prices in the thousands and presales selling out quickly, fans are finding workarounds to see (or hear) Swift anyway.
Many are choosing to park at the nearby American Dream mall or catch a train before walking over to MetLife.
Longtime Swiftie Allison Ekeman and her 10-year-old daughter Kayleigh originally intended to sit in the MetLife stadium’s parking lot, but will now walk over from the mall. They will enjoy the Saturday show outside the stadium walls with a blanket to lay on while singing Swift’s top hits.
“I’m not willing to spend over a $1,000 on tickets, but I can stand outside for free,” Ekeman said.
Ekeman said other fans will likely be doing the same, as she saw on TikTok and other social media platforms including last weekend’s Philadelphia show. Andover Township native Stephanie Poli-Zilinski got the same idea after presales sold out and ticket prices went up in the thousands.
Since listening to Swift’s debut single “Tim McGraw,” Poli-Zilinski has been a devoted Swiftie and eventually brought her daughter Ainsley into the Taylor community as well. They plan to park at American Dream early from the comfort of their minivan.
MetLife experienced a sampling of the Taylor Swift mania to come this weekend with the merchandise store opening on May. 25. Fans started camping in line around 10 p.m. the night before and waited for hours doors to open at 10 a.m.
Contributing: Darren Cooper, NorthJersey.com
