Taylor Swift: German fans are ready for “Eras Tour”

The countdown is on in “Swiftkirchen”. Hours before Taylor Swift’s first concert in Germany, numerous fans in Gelsenkirchen were eagerly waiting for the US superstar. They protected themselves against a few short but heavy showers with rain ponchos and umbrellas.

At the Veltins Arena, there were many young women sitting and standing in glitter and sequin dresses – but not all “Swifties” are young and female. Gerrit Kludt and Denis Öhl from Hattingen, for example, also want to be as close to the front as possible at the show in the evening.

Taylor Swift electrifies all genders and age categories

The two are childhood friends and hardly ever listen to pop music. It was different with Taylor, Gerrit said. “Denis was patient zero. He infected me with it last summer and then one thing led to another,” he said. When they had the opportunity to buy tickets for the front standing area in front of the stage through fan sales at the beginning of the year, they jumped at the chance.

“Even if it’s very unusual, if you put it that way,” said Gerrit: “Two guys in their mid-30s who, if you think in classic terms, don’t necessarily belong to the target audience.”

In addition to the music, he was particularly impressed by the elaborate production of the “Eras Tour,” said the 35-year-old. He saw the concert film of the same name twice in the cinema in the autumn. “Somehow you just got deeper and deeper into this universe.”

Special outfits and accessories are part of the “Swifties”

There are now various Taylor references in his apartment: framed tour posters, a sofa cushion with song lyrics and a coffee cup are among them. Gerrit has a song title whose meaning he likes tattooed on his upper arm: “Anti-Hero” is written there.

The two friends also put some thought into their outfits for the concert. Since they want to avoid glitter, they are both wearing Travis Kelce’s football jersey. The Kansas City Chiefs player has been together with Swift since last year.

Some people wait many hours for good visibility

They also brought a few friendship bracelets with them to swap with other “Swifties”. But they don’t have to stand in the front row at all costs, said Denis and Gerrit. Their height helps: they don’t have to worry much about having a good view. In the morning, both set off for Gelsenkirchen.

Some fans arrived much earlier to get a good view of the stage. A few hundred fans had already gathered in the waiting area early in the morning. “We’ve been here since 4:30 a.m.,” said Emily. The 18-year-old brought along snacks and card games to pass the time. “I’m so excited to see Taylor and the atmosphere will be great,” she said. It was great to see so many other “Swifties” too.

The organizer FKP Scorpio pointed out on its website that camping on the grounds is not permitted. Nevertheless, some “Swifties” had spent the night near the grounds. Fans without tickets also gathered at the arena from midday onwards to listen to the concert from outside.

“The bright cowboy hats are eye-catching. But the fans around the arena are behaving absolutely peacefully,” said a spokesman for the Gelsenkirchen police after taking a look at the situation on site that morning. “They are all just looking forward to the concert tonight.”

Fans hope for their favorite songs from Taylor Swift

The fans in their camping chairs also passed the time by speculating about the upcoming show. “We’re also talking about what surprise songs might come tonight,” said “Swiftie” Alessia. The singer’s three-and-a-half-hour set always includes two surprise songs that she plays alone on the piano or guitar.

Some fans also spent their time in the queue in front of the merchandise stands. “We want to buy shirts for ourselves and for friends at home,” said Olivia. She had traveled from Michigan with her friend Meadow and her mother Kristina.

Gelsenkirchen is expecting around 200,000 fans for the three Swift concerts on July 17, 18 and 19. Further German shows will take place afterwards in Hamburg and Munich.