After a whirlwind excursion around the US that has generated billions of dollars in income and broken records for crowd size and seismic activity, Taylor Swift is taking her Eras tour to South America – and fans have reportedly been lining up for five months.
In Buenos Aires, a cadre of Swifties has been sleeping in tents outside River Plate Stadium, where Swift is set to open her Latin American leg with three shows from 9-11 November.
According to a Pitchfork report, there are four tents and hundreds of fans, with each member taking part in a meticulously planned schedule of rotations to ensure the spaces are occupied at all times. Most fans have secured general admission tickets to the show; the aim is to get as close to the stage as possible when doors open.
“An internal spreadsheet, created by two organizers and updated by assigned administrators, keeps track of around 60 folks per tent,” Pitchfork reports. “Most of them are young women, but no one under 18 is allowed.”
The system includes a set of rules that were leaked online when camping began in June.
Members are required to spend at least one overnight shift in the tents, as well as a minimum 60-hour commitment a month. “No one is mandated to drop their responsibilities altogether” to staff the tents, Pitchfork writes, though fans who have dedicated the most time are more likely to secure better spots at the show.
“We’ve been in this tent for five months,” a 21-year-old Swiftie told the music publication. “I usually tell my dad I’m at a park … or visiting a friend of mine who lives near the stadium.” She requested anonymity to avoid being identified by her father.
Another fan told Pitchfork that her mother was aware of the camping and allowed her to participate as long as she passed her college exams. “The fact that there are so many people makes things easier,” she said. “We all have different schedules, and you fit yours amongst them.”
The group has received harassment and criticism from passersby. “People are very upset with us camping for some reason,” one fan called Carmen told Pitchfork. “Sometimes you’re lying down, and you hear someone scream ‘Go to work!’ at 2am. It’s like, ‘You’re the one who’s outside of a tent shouting … aren’t you supposed to work tomorrow?’”
As a fanbase, Swifties are famously organised: last December, a group of US fans filed a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster over what they called a “disastrous” experience trying to secure tickets for the Eras tour. The fanbase have also launched campaigns against fashion brands, music critics and Swift’s former partners.
The Eras tour began in March this year and continues through 2024 after its Latin American leg concludes this year.
A concert film released in October – spliced together from three live recordings at Swift’s Los Angeles shows – became the highest-grossing concert film of all time in the US after just one weekend.
