Gelsenkirchen has been looking forward to the visit of megastar Taylor Swift for a long time. Her German tour starts there today. Cheerleaders have been booked especially for the event to greet fans at the station.
“Shake It Off”, “Anti-Hero” and “Love Story” in Schalke: US pop singer Taylor Swift is playing the first of her seven German concerts in Gelsenkirchen. The 34-year-old will bring a number of her hits to the stage in the Veltins Arena that evening.
Around 60,000 fans of the singer are expected to attend the first German concert of the “Eras Tour”. The city is also expecting thousands more fans to come to Gelsenkirchen without a ticket. As they arrive, the fans will be greeted at the train station by cheerleaders that the city has booked especially for this event.
Swift’s world tour started in March 2023 and caused a stir around the world, with the shows selling out within minutes. In the US, the Ticketmaster sales system collapsed due to unprecedented demand. This is also due to the fact that the singer had not toured in the previous five years. Her last German tour was nine years ago.
“Swifties” have been in town for days
The first “Swifties” were seen in front of the Veltins Arena days before the opening concert. They wanted to look around the area or buy the singer’s merchandise. Some also tried to camp on site and secure a particularly good place in the queue. However, this is not allowed.
It is also not permitted to stay at the arena without a concert ticket. The city therefore pointed out in advance that there are numerous attractions for “Swifties” in the city center. The focus is on an open-air party called “Taylor Town,” which opens on Wednesday afternoon and takes place on all concert days. Near the party area, a 90-square-meter work of art by the singer will stop fans from marveling and taking photos.
Many fans from abroad expected
“We are expecting a lot of people from outside the area, which makes the situation a little more challenging,” said a police spokeswoman. However, the authority is relying on a security concept that has already proven successful at performances by other superstars such as Ed Sheeran and the Rolling Stones. In general, “a peaceful audience” is expected.
Since tickets are more expensive in the USA and Canada than in Europe, some “Swifties” fly across the Atlantic to attend the singer’s concerts. International fans exchanged tips for traveling to Germany in Facebook groups.
Additional trains to facilitate departure
The Rhine-Ruhr transport association will provide twelve additional trains on the days of the concerts to make arrival and departure easier. In total, around 40 trains will depart from Gelsenkirchen Central Station after each concert, the city announced.
The police recommended that the “Swifties” use the car park at Gelsenkirchen Zoo and from there take the shuttle bus or take public transport to the Veltins Arena.
Gelsenkirchen is expecting around 200,000 fans for the three concerts – that’s almost four fifths of the population. Further German shows will then take place in Hamburg (23 and 24 July) and Munich (27 and 28 July).
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
