Current:Home > NewsFans in Portugal camp out 24 hours before Eras Tour show to watch Taylor Swift -Finovate
Fans in Portugal camp out 24 hours before Eras Tour show to watch Taylor Swift
View
Date:2025-04-14 09:28:37
LISBON — After seeing the panic and frustration emerge Friday night at the Taylor Swift concert, Lara Madais lined up with her boyfriend Joao Almeida to camp out for Saturday night's show.
"We saw the big lines," Madais says from spot seven in the general admission line. Paramore had just begun their Friday night set and the two could hear Hayley Williams sing, "That’s What You Get" pour out of the open roof of Estádio da Luz as they sat against a concrete wall. "I've never seen so many people."
Poor communication by staff on entry gates and bottlenecked lines delayed Friday night's show about an hour. At one point, fans knocked over a barricade and began running towards the stadium hoping to not miss Swift as she took the stage for her first time in Portugal.
More:'Absolute chaos': Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Lisbon delayed as fans waited to enter
For 24 hours, Madais and a handful of others waited outside of the stadium watching the 60,000 plus fans exit. Trains moved slower than snails. Some fans walked away from the stadium to grab an Uber or cab back to their hotels. The low cooled to 57 degrees overnight. Madais had her boyfriend to pass the time and make sure she was safe (he's not even going to the show).
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
"I brought a power bank, snacks, cereal and a book," the 22 year old says. "We can watch some movies."
She paid €227 for her floor ticket ($246). To her, the cost and sleep deprivation are worth a moment to watch the record-breaking and massive Eras Tour.
"I know I won't be by the stage, but I hope to be three rows back," she says. "I just want to feel like I'm right there and she's singing to me."
Behind Madais sat Mafalda Gomes in a green sweatshirt with her suitcase containing her custom-made "Female Rage: The Musical" t-shirt.
"I'm saving a spot for my friend who is in the concert now," Gomes says. "I can't believe I'm going to see Taylor. I think I'm going to pass out because it's been my dream for like 10 years."
Gomes brought a friendship bracelet kit to pass the time. The neuropsychology student at Universidade Lusófona has been a fan since she was 12.
"I'm waiting for the surprise songs, because I hope Travis will come," she says about Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce who filmed his Friday "New Heights" podcast from a house "over yonder" and "across many different time zones." Fans speculate on if he'll make an appearance Saturday night at the show.
Taylor Swift's next two concerts will be in Spain at the Real Madrid fútbol stadium.
Don't miss any Taylor Swift news; sign up for the free, weekly newsletter This Swift Beat.
Follow Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
veryGood! (525)
Related
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- The Essentials: 'What Happens Later' star Meg Ryan shares her favorite rom-coms
- Kansas unveiled a new blue and gold license plate. People hated it and now it’s back to square 1
- FedEx driver shot during alleged carjacking in Denver; suspect remains at large, police say
- Average rate on 30
- In California, Farmers Test a Method to Sink More Water into Underground Stores
- U.S. gas prices have fallen or remained steady for 10 weeks straight. Here’s why
- Ohio Supreme Court dismisses 3 long-running redistricting lawsuits against state legislative maps
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs temporarily steps aside as chairman of Revolt TV network
Ranking
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- US agency to end use of ‘cyanide bomb’ to kill coyotes and other predators, citing safety concerns
- Beware of these 4 scams while hunting for Travel Tuesday deals
- Why Rachel Bilson Accidentally Ditched Adam Brody for the Olsen Twins Amid Peak O.C. Fame
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- New Zealand leader plans to ban cellphone use in schools and end tobacco controls in first 100 days
- Sri Lanka says it struck a deal with creditors on debt restructuring to clear way for IMF funds
- 5-year-old girl, man swept out by California wave identified as granddaughter, grandfather
Recommendation
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
Critically endangered Sumatran rhino named Delilah gives birth to 55-pound male calf
California mother Danielle Friedland missing after visiting Houston healthcare facility
Banker involved in big loans to Trump’s company testifies for his defense in civil fraud trial
Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
Retirements mount in Congress: Some are frustrated by chaos, and others seek new careers — or rest
Opening statements to begin in the final trial in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain
Where is parking most expensive? New study shows cheapest, priciest US cities to park in