Live updates from Taylor Swift’s Sydney Eras Tour: Americans ‘sad’ over rule at Aussie shows

A detail at Taylor Swift’s Australian Eras shows has stunned her American fans, prompting them to do a “double take”.

A detail at Taylor Swift’s Australian Eras Tour shows in Sydney and Melbourne has stunned her American fans, prompting them to do a “double take”.

One US TikTok user expressed her confusion at why crowds are allowed to bring non-clear bags inside concert arenas, when only clear bags are permitted in her own country – and there’s a “sad” reason why.

Meanwhile, the behaviour of some concertgoers during Taylor Swift’s shows has been criticised online, with fellow fans describing it as “absolute hell”.

During the singer’s Eras Tour in Sydney and Melbourne, certain attendees took things a little too far while singing along to her hit songs.

“Tolerate It (live) our version vs. taylors version,” one fan wrote on TikTok as they appeared to give the song Tolerate It a heavy-metal take while watching from the stands in Melbourne – leaving many unimpressed.

Read on for the latest updates.

Swift on stage for sold-out show

The moment has arrived that fans have been waiting for – Taylor Swift is on stage.

First song is Miss America & the Heartbreak Prince.

Then she takes off the jacket and pulls out a pink guitar for crowd favourite Lover.

American singer Sabrina Carpenter has taken the stage in an eye-catching off the shoulder blue dress and white knee-high boots.

Carpenter was forced to cancel her set because of rain delays and lightening strikes on Friday night.

Fans begin arriving at Accor Stadium

Fans have begun to spill into Accor stadium for Sunday night’s sold-out concert.

It’s a balmy 28 degrees, a welcome relief after Friday’s wild weather.

Mary Joseph, from Cammeray on Sydney’s lower north shore, has been a fan of Swift’s music since her early country music days.

She described the atmosphere to news.com.au as “incredibly joyful, united and happy”.

“It’s wonderful seeing all the different generations and people of all backgrounds coming together to enjoy Taylor and her beautiful music,” she said.

As for the song she is most looking forward to?

“All Too Well,” she said. “Though I know I will cry.”

TikToker wonders why Aussies are allowed bags at concerts

An American TikTok user has wondered why Aussie crowds are allowed to bring non-clear bags inside concert arenas around the country.

“I am watching all these outfits for the Eras tour in Australia being like why don’t they have to wear clear bags,” user Molly Halter mused on the platform,

Adding in the caption of the video: “Any other Americans doing a double take at all the eras tour outfits in Sydney and Melbourne?”

Live updates from Taylor Swift’s Sydney Eras Tour: Americans ‘sad’ over rule at Aussie shows
A detail at Taylor Swift’s Australian Eras shows has stunned her American fans, prompting them to do a “double take”.

Christine Estera
,
Natalie Brown
and
Carla Mascarenhas
9 min read
February 25, 2024 – 8:05PM

Click to unmute
Fury at Swifty’s ‘obnoxious’ concert act
During Night 2 of the star’s Eras Tour in Sydney, certain attendees took things a little too far while singing along to hit song, Tolerate It.
A detail at Taylor Swift’s Australian Eras Tour shows in Sydney and Melbourne has stunned her American fans, prompting them to do a “double take”.

One US TikTok user expressed her confusion at why crowds are allowed to bring non-clear bags inside concert arenas, when only clear bags are permitted in her own country – and there’s a “sad” reason why.

Meanwhile, the behaviour of some concertgoers during Taylor Swift’s shows has been criticised online, with fellow fans describing it as “absolute hell”.

During the singer’s Eras Tour in Sydney and Melbourne, certain attendees took things a little too far while singing along to her hit songs.

“Tolerate It (live) our version vs. taylors version,” one fan wrote on TikTok as they appeared to give the song Tolerate It a heavy-metal take while watching from the stands in Melbourne – leaving many unimpressed.

Read on for the latest updates.

Swift on stage for sold-out show

The moment has arrived that fans have been waiting for – Taylor Swift is on stage.

First song is Miss America & the Heartbreak Prince.

Then she takes off the jacket and
As one fan writes on X: “Lover at sunset with 83,000 fans is perfect.”

Sabrina Carpenter enters the stage

American singer Sabrina Carpenter has taken the stage in an eye-catching off the shoulder blue dress and white knee-high boots.

Sabrina Carpenter at Accor Stadium.
Sabrina Carpenter at Accor Stadium.
The 24-year-old is the opening act on the Eras Tour and is quickly becoming a crowd favourite.

Carpenter was forced to cancel her set because of rain delays and lightening strikes on Friday night.

Fans begin arriving at Accor Stadium

Fans have begun to spill into Accor stadium for Sunday night’s sold-out concert.

It’s a balmy 28 degrees, a welcome relief after Friday’s wild weather.

Mary Joseph, from Cammeray on Sydney’s lower north shore, has been a fan of Swift’s music since her early country music days.

‘Made the friendship bracelets, taking a moment to taste it,’ Mary Joseph told news.com.au at Accor Stadium Picture: Supplied
‘Made the friendship bracelets, taking a moment to taste it,’ Mary Joseph told news.com.au at Accor Stadium Picture: Supplied
She described the atmosphere to news.com.au as “incredibly joyful, united and happy”.

“It’s wonderful seeing all the different generations and people of all backgrounds coming together to enjoy Taylor and her beautiful music,” she said.

As for the song she is most looking forward to?

“All Too Well,” she said. “Though I know I will cry.”

TikToker wonders why Aussies are allowed bags at concerts

An American TikTok user has wondered why Aussie crowds are allowed to bring non-clear bags inside concert arenas around the country.

“I am watching all these outfits for the Eras tour in Australia being like why don’t they have to wear clear bags,” user Molly Halter mused on the platform,

Adding in the caption of the video: “Any other Americans doing a double take at all the eras tour outfits in Sydney and Melbourne?”

An American TikToker wonders why our concert bags policy is relaxed her in Australia.
The TikToker concluded it must be because we have gun laws in Australia.

Apparently in the US, concertgoers are only permitted to bring a clear plastic bag into arenas, with the rule being enforced at Taylor’s concert earlier this month at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

Known at the NFL Clear Bag Policy, the rule strictly limits the type of bags permitted in the building – backpacks, purses and even nappy bags are out, small clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags are in. And they can be no bigger than 30cm x 30cm in size.

The TikToker theorised that the rules were more relaxed in Australia because we have strict gun laws.

“They don’t have gun problems,” she said, answering her own query.

Many commenters were stunned by this theory, with one Aussie saying she assumed the clear bag policy at US shows had to do with people not sneaking in food and drinks.

“They didn’t even check my bag in Melbourne lol,” another said.

A fellow American commenter said that it was “so sad” it had become their “normal” in the US.

“I wonder what the rest of the world thought of our outfits and our plastic bags? Did they think it was a trend here,” another wrote.

Jackie O spotted among the crowd

Jackie “O” Henderson is a Swiftie and damn proud of it.

The radio host excitedly shared a series of photos and videos of her time at the concert with her famous friends Pip Edwards, Sonia Kruger and Tash Oakley.

“Night 2,” the Kyle & Jackie O host captioned one post on Instagram.

As it turns out, fashion designer Edwards was not a Taylor fan up until the concert where she became a convert.

“The moment @pipedwards realises she’s a Swiftie,” Henderson captioned one photo on Instagram Stories.

Who doesn’t love to belt out their favourite hits along with their icons at concerts?

But it appears some fans may be taking things a bit too far, with multiple videos emerging online of fans screaming along with Taylor Swift’s songs to the point where it is almost impossible to hear the singer herself.

One video from one of the Melbourne shows recently gained attention online after a fan filmed herself singing along to the singer’s hit, Tolerate It – leaving some unimpressed.

“Honestly I don’t care how much you love the song, concerts are a public space and people around you paid a lot of money for a concert,” one user wrote on Twitter.

“Don’t be selfish and have concert etiquette please.”

Commenters were quick to agree, with one user pointed out there was a difference between singing along loudly to a song and “screeching for a video”, branding it “obnoxious”.

“Imagine this your favourite song you’ve been waiting for and you can’t hear a single word of it because someone is doing this,” another said, with one person adding it would be “absolute hell”.

Rebel Wilson dances with Taylor’s dad

When Taylor’s dad wasn’t handing out food to fans at the concert, he was busy getting down with Rebel Wilson in the VIP area.

The Aussie actress shared a video on Instagram of the duo dancing at the concert while Taylor performed Shake It Off onstage.

“Papa Swift,” Wilson captioned the video of the pair going wild on the dance floor.

One attendee at last night’s concert revealed the unfortunate reality of some of the most coveted seats at Accor Stadium.

In a TikTok video, user Lauren Vella wrote that she spent $1300 on floor tickets, only to “watch the back of peoples (sic) heads”. The premium-priced seats that have been met with backlash from some fans as they are not tiered, meaning shorter fans toward the back might struggle to see past people in front of them.

Many in the clip’s comments agreed that the obstructed viewing experience wasn’t worth the steep price.

“That is what happens with floor or general admission. Unless you are in barricade, it’s a horrible experience,” one wrote.

“This is why I always get seats I’m too short lol,” another agreed.

While a third said: “That’s why being in the stand is better because of the different levels, no one’s height can really affect what you see.”

During the Melbourne leg of the Eras Tour, Collingwood AFL player Mason Cox issued a public plea to any fans stuck behind him, after a photo showed just how much of a raw deal they had, sat behind the 2.11m athlete.

Cox, who had floor seats not too far from the stage, put the call out to the Swifties “sat directly behind me to give them tickets to an AFL game” in apology, telling Nova 100’s Ben, Liam & Belle he felt “absolutely dreadful” heading into the concert due to his stature.

“I was excited. I was hyped. And I was like, maybe we’ll get an aisle seat. I can just stand in the aisle – No! Middle of the row, no options whatsoever,” he said.

“I feel so bad with them sitting behind me after paying all the money and everything else, and then probably not even seeing Taylor Swift.”

Last-minute tickets announced outside the stadium

It was pandemonium outside Accor Stadium when fans who flocked to the grounds were told over the speaker system that there were tickets still available.

According to TikTok user Melissa Aleksioska, ticketless fans sitting outside the stadium in hopes of scoring last-minute tickets were in luck when it was announced there were still some left to purchase.

In a video shared by Melissa, hordes of Swifties could be seen rushing to the ticket booths for one last shot at getting their hands on the coveted tickets.