Taylor Swift opened her Eras tour in March in Glendale, Arizona. Photo / Getty Images
Taylor Swift opened her Eras tour in March in Glendale, Arizona. Photo / Getty Images
Taylor Swift’s Sydney show has officially sold out. Again. And she certainly won’t be adding any surprise New Zealand shows.
What option is there to get last-minute tickets? The Melbourne stop on the much-hyped Eras tour, which went on sale at 4pm today is, for now, still available.
With the Sydney allocation already gone — including “partially-obstructed side view tickets” — fans will want to act fast if they want to be at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 18.
It follows record-breaking sales in June, when more then 450,000 people tried to secure tickets for the five shows.
Taylor Swift’s Kiwi fans are still mourning the superstar’s decision to skip New Zealand on her Eras tour.
But once the initial shock settled, it didn’t take them long to start planning their trips across the ditch to see her perform in Australia.
If the reactions to the news on social media are anything to go by, plenty of diehard Kiwi fans are already booking their annual leave and preparing to dig into their life savings to secure their tickets.
Because once you factor in flights and accommodation, these might just be some of the most expensive concert tickets we’ve seen.
When do Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets go on sale?
The pop star is set to play two shows at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 16 and 17, then head to Accor Stadium in Sydney for shows on February 23, 24 and 25.
American Express cardholders will have presale access on Monday, June 26, from midday NZ time for Sydney tickets, or 4pm NZ time for Melbourne tickets, with the presale to last 48 hours or until the allocation runs out.
Frontier Touring members can register for a presale from Wednesday, June 28, at 4pm NZT lasting 24 hours or until the allocation runs out. General public tickets officially go on sale at midday Friday, June 30, for the Sydney shows and 4pm for the Melbourne shows.
Then, of course, you have to brave the Ticketek website to secure tickets.
The vendor shared some advice to give you the best chance of landing a ticket, advising: “Double check your Ticketek account and payment details are up to date. Have your login details handy as you’ll need them to complete your purchase.
“Gather your fellow fans and plan your purchase by agreeing on the performance date, ticket price category and any packages you want to purchase.”
Taylor Swift performs on stage in Houston, Texas during her Eras tour. Photo / Getty Images
They also advise heading to the website “at least 15 minutes prior to tickets going on sale”.
“Please don’t leave the lounge page or refresh your browser. The page will refresh itself frequently to let more fans through to purchase. Once you’re in the Lounge, sit tight and wait to be let through to the event page. Once you’re through, keep an eye on the timer and complete your purchase within the time frame.”
How much do the Eras Tour Australia tickets cost?
Once you’re there, ticket costs range from A$79-$379 ($86-415) depending on the seats, while VIP packages range from A$349-$1249 ($382 -$1368).
Yes, that’s $1386 for an A reserve floor ticket, four Taylor Swift prints, and a range of exclusive merchandise including a commemorative tote bag, pin, stickers and a postcard.
Other premium ticket packages including merch are Karma is My Boyfriend - A$899.90 ($984.58) with an A Reserve Floor ticket, I Remember It All Too Well - A$749.90 ($820.47) with an A Reserve Ticket in the lower level, Ready For It - A$599.90 ($656.35) with a B Reserve Ticket, It’s A Love Story - A$399.90 ($437.53) with a D Reserve ticket, and lastly We Never Go Out Of Style - A$349.90 ($382.83) with an E reserve ticket.
The high ticket prices and the contents of the merch packages have already raised some eyebrows.
A reserve for Taylor Swift at the MCG is double what we paid for A reserve Ed Sheeran. Absolutely insane prices.
Not sure I like my little Swifty’s chances of getting a ticket, but I’ll certainly try for one… in E, F or G reserve 🫣
— Alison Malek (Foster) (@AlisonRFoster) June 20, 2023
Once you’ve secured your tickets, you’ll need to get there.
Flights to Melbourne and Sydney
Flying return economy to Melbourne around those dates will cost you from $698 on Qantas, $725 on Jetstar, or $954 on Air New Zealand, while Sydney flights range from $390 to $935.
Then there’s accommodation - if you’re lucky enough to have family or friends living in either of the Australian cities, you’re in luck.
But if not, you’ll have to factor in $100 or more a night for a place to stay, depending how fancy you’re feeling and how close you can find accommodation near the venues.
So, even if you go for a mid-level ticket costing a few hundred dollars, you could be dropping the equivalent of the cost of the most expensive VIP package - around $1300 - just for one seat.
The ticket prices might help explain why Taylor is Swiftly heading towards having the highest-grossing music tour of all time to her name, though it’s important to note the cost of running the operation itself. Her stage design alone has made global headlines with its transformations designed as a backdrop for each of her “eras” of music, including a forest, a dollhouse and a special-effects swimming pool.
Why isn’t Taylor Swift coming to New Zealand?
The scale of her shows is also a potential factor in why she decided to skip New Zealand this time, with fans speculating that we just don’t have a venue with the capacity for her stage and the crowds that would flock to see it.
The show is more than three hours long and includes selections of songs from her albums Lover, Fearless, evermore, reputation, Speak Now, Red, folklore, 1989, Taylor Swift, and her most recent album Midnights.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Australia dates 2024
Friday, February 16: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Saturday, February 17: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Bethany Reitsma is an Auckland-based journalist covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2019. She specialises in lifestyle human interest stories, foodie hacks (what can’t you air fry?!) and anything even remotely related to coffee.
