While it remains unclear just how many Kiwis have secured tickets to the shows - which are anticipated to host 620,000 fans over the next 10 days, Air New Zealand speaks to the Herald explaining that current flight data indicates there are thousands of fans heading across the ditch.
The airline’s GM short haul Jeremy O’Brien says the airline has added 14 flights in addition to its existing services - including seven NZ1989 flights, created as a nod to her fifth studio album, 1989.
“Back in June 2023 when the concerts were announced, we added 14 flights and increased capacity on existing services to Australia around the concerts to get Kiwi Swifties to the shows. In the three days ahead of the concerts we have 63 flights into Sydney and 47 into Melbourne,” O’Brien says adding, “This includes seven NZ1989 flights as a special nod to Swifties onboard with us.”
O’Brien says that across the concert dates, Air New Zealand will see over 20,000 customers travelling out of Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland on their services to Sydney and Melbourne with many of those passengers expected to be heading to see the Eras Tour. “We look forward to helping Swifties travel with us in style,” O’Brien said.
Flight Centre has also seen an increase in flight numbers with New Zealand’s managing director Victoria Courtney telling the Herald that across dates in line with the Lover singer’s Melbourne shows, “travel between the 14th and the 18th February is up 130 per cent compared to a typical weekend in February”.
As for flights to Sydney across dates that align with the singer’s four shows, “travel between the 22nd and the 26th February is also up 100 per cent compared to a typical weekend in February.”
It comes after record-breaking ticket wars last year which saw an estimated 800,000 fans flock to the Ticketek website during its two pre-sale events in an attempt to secure tickets. Following the “unprecedented demand”, extra dates were added to the popstar’s Australian leg of the tour as well as additional ticket releases in the lead-up to the concerts.
Swift will be the second ever artist to perform three concerts at the MCG – the first was Madonna – and she will also be the first artist ever to perform four concerts at Accor Stadium.
Show schedule
February 16, 17 and 18 - Melbourne Cricket Ground
February 23, 24, 25 and 26 - Sydney Accor Stadium
Lillie Rohan is an Auckland-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things relationships and dating, great Taylor Swift ticket wars and TV shows you simply cannot miss out on.
