Taylor Swift Eras Tour Sydney… as it happened:US pop superstar wows sold-out crowd at Accor Stadium

Live
UPDATED
Pinned post from

Not at the concert tonight? Feel like you’re there with our gallery

For those of us who aren’t exchanging friendship bracelets or sweating through sparkles at the concert,at least we’ll be able to follow all the fun in our picture gallery. We’ll keep the gallery below updated during the evening,so you won’t miss a single rain-induced Taylor curl.

If you ARE at Olympic Park tonight,you might be able to find yourself or your friends inour mega gallery here.

And if you’d like to purchase an original image,click here.

LATEST UPDATES

Our farewell era is here

ByMelanie Kembrey

Whether you’re reading this on your way home from the show in a bid to avoid making eye contact with the clammy person next to you on the train,or you’re scrolling in bed kept awake by all your FOMO (you should probably research blue light while you’re at it),I’m sad to say our time together on the blog has come to an end.

There have been great highs (Sabrina and Taylor’s duet,Travis’ cute matching outfit set,the description of kangaroos as cool,bouncy and strong) and great lows (the rain and those Swifties who got scammed). Thank you for joining us for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. And no,before you comment,I didn’t see the Beatles.

We’ll keep you up to date throughout the weekend as Taylor Swift performs three more shows in Sydney. And at least,we’ll always have the zoo.

The transport situation:the good and the bad

ByAnthony Segaert

The good news:unlike last time the country’s eyes were on Sydney Olympic Park (when the Matildas played in the World Cup,Luke Coombs played next door,and damage to a critical signal boxleft tens of thousands stranded) the trains are working,and running about every five minutes

The bad news:there are a lot of people waiting to get on those trains. And don’t forget special event buses are travelling around the city.

Good luck!

Julia Naughton,Anthony Segaert

From the highs of Taylor to the lows of public transport...

Dion Georgopoulos

Dion Georgopoulos

Dion Georgopoulos

Dion Georgopoulos

Dion Georgopoulos

There’s no more Taylor but... there’s more me

ByMelanie Kembrey

So,that’s it. The one thing we could all unite behind in this divided world is over,and all we have left are our single-use plastic bracelets and blisters from our cowboy boots.

Before we sink into despair because our future holds only Midnight Oil gigs,I’d like to offer you distraction in the form of our culture podcastThe Drop.

Join my colleagues Osman Faruqi,Thomas Mitchell and I each week as we discuss the latest in pop culture - and hear our reviews of theEras Tour.

You can subscribe onSpotify andApple Music. Or you can try before you buy below (but please also buy,although it’s free).

Can you feel the magic in the air? Taylor4Travis

ByMelanie Kembrey

She’s certainly swift. Having only concluded her show about 15 minutes ago,Taylor Swift was spotted catching up with her NFL beau Travis Kelce in the stadium.

Video footage shows Swift waving to the crowd before running into Travis’ arms. The pair then make a quick exit with their arms wrapped around each other. Couples who zoo together,stay together.

‘Unmatched artistry’:First review lands

And the first review is in!

Millie Muroi,who was at the show for us,has given theEras Tour five stars.

“With a sparkle in her eye and some cheeky glances,she made the audience feel like they were in on a joke,bringing the crowd on an intimate yet expansive journey with her,” Muroi writes.

“The fact that Swift can deliver[the show] so regularly,in so many different environments,in different conditions,to different audiences and still make all of us feel like it was made just for us is the real testament to her,in this era at least,unmatched artistry.”

Read the full reviewhere.

Swifties leave the stadium in good spirits

ByAnthony Segaert

81,000 Swifties are about to descend on Sydney Olympic Park train station,but despite standing for hours,the attendees’ mood is good as they leave.

Among the first out is Naheena and Tahela,who said their favourite song wasShake It Off.

“But we can’t really hear anything,” Naheena said,with their ears ringing. “It was great. Amazing.”

Swift fans Naheena and Tahela.

Swift fans Naheena and Tahela.Dion Georgepoulos

Friends Ellie Maish,Catherine Ogborn,Michelia Yu and Kayla Carr all dressed up in dresses from their favourite Eras — and they’ll keep up the style on their long commute home.

“It was very loud,” Michaelia said as she left. In a red dress,her favourite song wasSpeak Now. But they all loved every minute,she said.

Trains are running every few minutes from Sydney Olympic Park to Central via Strathfield and Redfern,and special event buses are also leaving. But be prepared for delays — tens of thousands of us are all trying to get home at once!

Friends Ellie Maish,Catherine Ogborn,Michelia Yu and Kayla Carr all dressed up in dresses from their favourite Eras.

Friends Ellie Maish,Catherine Ogborn,Michelia Yu and Kayla Carr all dressed up in dresses from their favourite Eras.Dion Georgopoulos

Did Taylor change the lyrics to Karma?

ByMelanie Kembrey

There’s been some debate among people in the crowd over whether Taylor changed the lyrics toKarma,as she has previously,to “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs”,a reference to her boyfriend Travis Kelce.

Kelce is in the crowd tonight,so it would have been a fitting change. A video that captures Swift’s actual singing,as opposed to the crowd shouting along,seems to confirm that she did,in fact,change the lyrics this time!

Crowd goes wild as show closes with Karma

ByMelanie Kembrey

The final song of the night is here -Karma - and remarkably Taylor Swift has managed to only be running 15 minutes overtime despite the rain delays.

The entire stadium is on their feet,giving it all they’ve got. It’s hard to tell from my position (not on the stage),whether Swift sang her now-famous line,“Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me”,but I can confirm that literally everyone else sang that line,so we’ll go with it.

I’m quietly sad that she didn’t adjust the lyrics to have a Sydney-themed twist. “Karma is a cat purring in my lap” could easily have become “karma is a kangaroo,of which I’ve seen a few”.

Best believe... it’s nearly over

ByMelanie Kembrey

Taylor Swift is certainly making the stadium sparkle as she performsBejeweled(BCC Joe Alwyn).

The sad news is that we only have two songs left to round out theMidnights era and the Eras Tour show -Mastermind andKarma.

Travis Kelce,who is wearing a cute little matching shirt and short set,appears to have been wandering around a little during the concert.

He best be back from the bathroom,in his seat,and ready to sing his single line inKarma,in order to give this show the ending it deserves. You have one job,Travis.

Robert Moran is Spectrum Deputy Editor at The Sydney Morning Herald.

Lauren is a lifestyle writer at the Sydney Morning Herald.

Kate Lahey is Culture Digital Editor.

Thomas Mitchell is a culture reporter and columnist at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Nick Galvin is Arts Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald

Anthony Segaert is a reporter covering urban affairs at the Sydney Morning Herald.

Melanie Kembrey is Spectrum Editor at The Sydney Morning Herald.

Most Viewed in Culture