Taylor Swift Concert Evacuated Over Lightning Strike

Taylor Swift Concert Evacuated Over Lightning Strike

Part of the stadium at her Sydney show was evacuated on Friday after lightning strikes nearby, with some on social media saying they were as close as 10 km (6 miles).

She is Down Under for her Eras world tour and has just finished a series of shows in the southern city of Melbourne, where she played to 96,000 people at each of the three concerts.

Located in Western Sydney, the Accor Stadium is playing host to Swift’s shows in the city on her current tour, the first of which is on Friday.

It was due to start at 6.20 p.m. local time but was partially evacuated according to posts on X, formerly Twitter, and local media.

The floor and lower bowl are currently being evacuated due to lightning strikes nearby the stadium at today’s show of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ in Sydney, Australia. Please stay safe and seek shelter for now,” a post on X read.

— The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) February 23, 2024
The stadium was the site for the 2000 Olympic Games but does not have a retractable roof to protect spectators, athletes and performers from the elements.

Stay undercover until further notice and follow venue screens and staff instructions,” a post on the stadium’s official X account read. “Stay safe and remember to be kind to those around you.”

A meteorologist at the national Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) explained a weather system was likely to bring heavy rain, lightning, thunder and damaging winds.

“It will be brief but they will be pretty damaging when they do hit,” senior meteorologist Dean Narramore told 9News.

A number of flights into Sydney carrying fans headed to the concert were delayed because of the inclement weather.

National carrier Qantas, had even put put on a special Airbus A380 from Melbourne to Sydney to allow for the volume of Swifties traveling north for the concerts.

The decision to delay flights was made by the government agency, Airservices Australia, which said it would do its best to get “Swifties,” the name of singer’s fan base, to the concert.

A spokesperson for Airservices Australia said it was “delighted to be assisting our key customer Qantas in ensuring Swifties can get to Sydney before the inclement weather impacts the airport.”

“Airborne and ground delays are expected. It is recommended that passengers reach out to their airlines,” the spokesperson told The Guardian.

Views
Some people shared their experiences at the concert including how supporting act, Sabrina Carpenter, would no longer be performing.

Sad for Sabrina Carpenter and her fans – apparently she won’t be performing tonight in Sydney due to the rain delay,” wrote one person on X.

Another person added that about an hour after the evacuation the weather was clearing and shared a photo of a rainbow appearing over the stadium.

A second documented the rainbow: “Looks like the there is a calm approaching after the rain – a rainbow appearing over the stadium!”

What’s Next?
Swift is likely to perform no matter how much rain falls on her. She has done it plenty of times before, including during an Eras show in Massachusetts in May 2023.

“Last night we all danced together in the rain for THE ENTIRE 3.5 HOUR SHOW,’ Swift wrote on X at the time. “This was a full on deluge that never let up, I just want to thank that iconic crowd!! Love you so much you have no idea.”

It also rained heavily during some of her shows the last time she played in Australia in 2018, a fact that was not lost on fans.

“This rain and thunderstorm feels all too familiar for us…. did someone say it’s Rep Tour Sydney November 2nd 2018……” one person wrote on X.

While showers are predicted, they should only be in the morning on Saturday and even less likely to happen at all for Sunday’s show, according to the BoM.

However, temperatures will remain hot and humid for the entire Sydney run at about 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit).

Swifties attending the show and arriving early to get the best spots are advised to pack extra sunscreen because there are anticipated UV levels of 10.