Thousands of Taylor Swift fans found a clever way to attend her concerts for free in Munich, Germany. They made use of a hill with a direct view of the Olympiastadion stadium to witness the Eras Tour of the singer.
The pop star’s enthusiastic followers, known as swifties, gathered on Olympiaberg hill, a 61-meter elevated viewing platform to the southeast of the grounds, since the morning of Saturday, July 27. According to the Olympiapark website, “from the top you have a magnificent view of the Olympic Park, Munich, and the Alps.”
The portal of the Olympic Park notes that the Olympic Hill has been for decades “a popular destination for enjoying free outdoor concerts.” This prime location allowed thousands of people without tickets to enjoy the more than three-hour show.
Videos shared on X (previously Twitter) showed every inch of grass covered by fans equipped with umbrellas, blankets, and spray bottles to cool off under the high temperatures that were around 27°C. As we recall, Europe is currently experiencing a heatwave which even led Taylor to stop her shows on more than one occasion due to the lack of oxygen in the public, as well as offering water supply points.
Before taking the stage, the 34-year-old artist acknowledged the presence of fans on the hill, saying: “We also have people in a park outside the stadium. It makes us feel very welcome. We are going to spend all night trying to make it up to them.” He also thanked the 74 thousand attendees within the premises for “coming and spending their Saturday night with us.”
Taylor Swift sold out tickets for her first two concerts at the Olympic venue, which was built for the 1972 Olympic Games — specifically for athletics competitions — with a maximum capacity of 80 thousand attendees.
The Swift effect is not unique to Munich. Before her performance in the city, the Grammy winner expressed her gratitude to fans in Hamburg for attending the concert despite the rain. On her Instagram account, she noted: “Hamburg, I loved those crowds so much […] and we had a rainy night unlocking my curly hair at night.”
The Eras Tour is a resounding success in Europe and, in some ways, has also managed to promote tourism among countries with scheduled shows. In early May, an Associated Press report revealed that thousands of Americans are reportedly traveling to the Old Continent to see Taylor Swift live. Some European cities were expecting to receive more than 10,000 followers from the US, as is the case of Stockholm.
The main reason lies in the high cost of tickets for concerts in North America and strict regulations against overpriced resale in Europe.
Jennifer Warren, a 43-year-old Canadian fan, explained her motivation: “I realized, ‘Wait a minute, I can spend $1,500 to see my favorite artist in Miami, or I can take that $1500 and buy a concert ticket, a round trip ticket, and three nights in a hotel’.”
Analysts point out that this phenomenon of fans traveling abroad for concerts is part of a broader trend of “tour tourism” driven by the growing demand for experiences following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, it has become a booming trend, with swifties traveling around Europe and leaving a significant contribution to local economies. Prior to the arrival of Taylor Swift in Europe, it was estimated that these fans would generate millions of euros in revenue.
Swifties Gathered on Munich’s Olympiaberg Hill to Watch Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour for Free
Thousands of fans of Taylor Swift found an ingenious way to attend her concerts at no cost in Munich, Germany
The pop star’s enthusiastic followers, known as swifties, met since the morning of Saturday, July 27 on Olympiaberg hill, a 61-metre elevated viewing platform to the southeast of the grounds. With a magnificent view of the Olympic Park, Munich, and the Alps, this prime location allowed thousands of people without tickets to enjoy the more than three-hour show.
Videos shared on Twitter showed every inch of grass covered by fans equipped with umbrellas, blankets, and spray bottles to cool off under the high temperatures that were around 27°C. Europe is currently experiencing a heatwave, which even led Taylor Swift to stop her shows on more than one occasion due to the lack of oxygen in the public, as well as offering water supply points.
Before taking the stage, the 34-year-old artist acknowledged the presence of fans on the hill, saying: “We also have people in a park outside the stadium. It makes us feel very welcome. We are going to spend all night trying to make it up to them.” He also thanked the 74 thousand attendees within the premises for “coming and spending their Saturday night with us.”
Taylor Swift sold out tickets of their first two concerts at the Olympic venue, which was built for the 1972 Olympic Games —specifically for athletics competitions— with a maximum capacity of 80 thousand attendees.
The Swift effect is not unique to Munich. Before her performance in the city, the Grammy winner expressed her gratitude to fans in Hamburg for attending the concert despite the rain. On his Instagram account, he noted: “Hamburg, I loved those crowds so much […] and we had a rainy night unlocking my curly hair at night.”
The Eras Tour is a resounding success in Europe and, in some ways, has also managed to promote tourism among countries with scheduled shows. In early May, an Associated Press report revealed that thousands of Americans are reportedly traveling to the Old Continent to see Taylor Swift live. Some European cities were expecting to receive more than 10,000 followers from the US, as is the case of Stockholm.
The main reason lies in the high cost of tickets for concerts in North America and strict regulations against overpriced resale in Europe.
Jennifer Warren, a 43-year-old Canadian fan, explained her motivation: “I realized, ‘Wait a minute, I can spend $1,500 to see my favorite artist in Miami, or I can take that 1500 and buy a concert ticket, a round trip ticket, and three nights in a hotel’”.
Analysts point out that this phenomenon of fans traveling abroad for concerts is part of a broader trend of “tour tourism” driven by the growing demand for experiences following the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it has become a booming trend, with swifties traveling around Europe and leaving a significant contribution to local economies. Prior to the arrival of Taylor Swift in Europe, it was estimated that these fans would generate millions of euros in revenue.