Taylor Swift Fans Have Camped for Months Outside Arena, Enraging Neighbors
Over 200 fans have been sleeping in tents since June for the singer's upcoming Buenos Aires shows.
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is already one of the most lucrative concert tours of all time, and it's not over yet. After taking some time off, the "Anti-Hero" singer will return to touring on Nov. 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina—and her biggest fans are certainly ready for her. As reported by Pitchfork, a group consisting of hundreds of Swifties have been camping outside of River Plate Stadium for months in the hopes of being as close to the stage as possible when Swift performs her three shows in the city.
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The fans are not just a ragtag group—at least at this point. Since June, over 200 concertgoers have been occupying four tents outside of the stadium, which they come and go from in well-organized shifts. As reported by Pitchfork, most of them have general admission tickets to the Eras Tour, which means that rather than having assigned seats in the bleachers, they will be able to make their way close to the stage. The group keep track of how long each member has spent in the tents, and the longer you have been an occupant means the closer you are to the front of the line.
"The fact that there are so many people makes things easier. We all have different schedules, and you fit yours amongst them," a 20-year-old fan named Irina told Pitchfork. The members have to stay in the tent for a minimum of 60 hours per month, and they get extra credit for camping overnight or during a storm.
The hardcore Swifties have faced insults from passersby in the neighborhood, including getting questioned about whether they work or shower and being called lazy.
"People are very upset with us camping for some reason," a fan named Carmen said. "Sometimes you're lying down, and you hear someone scream 'Go to work!' at 2 a.m. It's like, 'You're the one who's outside of a tent shouting at 2 in the morning—aren't you supposed to work tomorrow? Does it really affect you that much? I'm the one who's sleeping on the street, not you.'"
The campers have also been yelled at by soccer fans attending games at the stadium. During games, the police reportedly put up fences to protect the tents.
These Swift fans began camping out as soon as her tour dates in Argentina were announced. The Eras Tour will be the first time the 33-year-old singer has performed in the country. Remezcla reported in June that fans were already camping out after the tickets for all three dates sold out in record time. Reportedly, more than three million people were in the virtual line to buy tickets.
According to Remezcla, a fan named Nina, who was camping out in June said that she didn't even have a ticket yet. "My ticket is questionable," she told Argentine publication Clarín. "I mean, I don't have the money to buy it yet, but I have passed on my information to all my friends and family, and with their help, I hope to get in. And if not, I will stay outside listening to her from wherever I can. The important thing is that she is coming to Argentina, and she is going to find a different audience: very affectionate and passionate."
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