For every three Taylor Swift attendees, one came just to hang in the parking lot of her ‘Eras Tour’ in Philly
You did a number on me. But honestly, baby, who’s counting? This data company, actually.
We already knew Taylor Swift fans go hard, but new data from her Philadelphia tour stops prove just how much.
For every three fans enjoying her concert at Lincoln Financial Field in May, another was outside, ticketless, and tailgating. That’s according to an analysis by Placer.ai — a location analytics and foot traffic data company.
» READ MORE: Philly Flair at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
One fan outside for every three in
As Swift performed, swarms of people danced, sang, and sat on lawn chairs and beach blankets outside the arena.
An estimated 200,000 ticket-holders attended Swift’s three sold-out shows in Philly. Placer.ai obtained data on cell phone usage in and around the Linc to estimate that 28.5% of attendees remained outside the venue. If that number is correct, that would mean that about 57,000 fans tailgated at the Linc over the course of the weekend.
The popularity of the “Eras Tour,” mixed with high prices and Ticketmaster’s crashing sales site created an influx of people who either couldn’t afford to attend the concert or who couldn’t score a ticket when or where they wanted to.
”This is an entertainer at the height of her powers with ridiculously high expectations and negative publicity about how expensive it was, yet still potentially overperforming and bringing people to this stadium area just to be a part of it,” said Ethan Chernofsky, senior vice president of marketing at Placer. “That is a very impressive feat for an artist.”
» READ MORE: Couldn’t snag a Taylor Swift ticket? Fans brought their own seats and listened outside the Linc
Not all Taylor-gates are created equally
Of Swift’s more than 50 shows in 20 cities, Philly’s outside-the-arena showing was notable.
The Linc tour stops, whether security liked it or not, were set in an area that’s built for tailgating. This is the home of the Eagles — and their fans’ tailgates — after all. Swift’s show could easily be heard by people outside the open arena.
Meanwhile, ticketless Swift fans in New Jersey were warned ahead of time to stay home.
“Please don’t come to the stadium without a ticket,” a MetLife Stadium rep told USA Today. “We want to make sure the fans with tickets can get in and have a great night.”
» READ MORE: Review: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dazzles in South Philly with a 3-hour spectacle
When Swift performed at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., Taylor-gating was again banned for safety concerns.
“We aren’t the same location as Philadelphia,” Foxboro Deputy Chief Richard Noonan told reporters at the time. “We are a small town with one road in. We are asking people if you don’t have a ticket to not come to the stadium. We don’t have the same setup as Philadelphia has.”
Another city that had notable tailgating numbers was Nashville — Swift’s adopted hometown (she was born in Reading) — where about 32.8% of non-ticket-holding fans tailgated compared to ticket-holding ones.
Nashville also ended up being the site of several “Eras Tour” surprises and announcements, including opener Phoebe Bridgers being joined by her supergroup Boygenius bandmates and the announcement that Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) would be coming out soon.
Taylor drew a lot of locals to the Linc
According to Placer.ai, most attendees (25%-30% depending on the night) traveled 10 to 30 miles to get to the Linc. Only about 10% of fans traveled more than 250 miles to attend the show.
The Inquirer spoke to a mix of fans at the Philly Swift Taylor-gate who traveled from across Pennsylvania and some nearby states, including New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
But for Swift’s Nashville show, these stats nearly invert with about 40% of fans traveling more than 250 miles to attend one of Swift’s coveted hometown shows; Swift is known for pulling out extra stops for shows of significance.