Taylor Swift Melbourne concert live updates: Sabrina Carpenter takes the stage to open biggest Eras tour show yet | Taylor Swift

Has Taylormania surpassed Beatlemania?

John emailed the Guardian just now with this beautiful note:

I am in my 70s. Two years ago I had scarcely heard of Taylor Swift. Now here I am following your blog of her Melbourne concert. It is very moving. I hope all these wonderful young people have a magnificent time. I haven’t had this much fun since the Beatles in the 60s. It was easier to get tickets then.

You can also send us your thoughts on: melb.eras@guardian.co.uk

Dressing for a Taylor Swift concert is no easy feat. The concert is a journey through all Swift’s musical eras, broken up among her 10-album discography, and as we explained earlier, each “era” demands a very specific dress code.

Tisha Aisyah Afliansh says as a recently engaged Taylor Swift fan she had no choice by to encompass the Lover era.

“I just found this [dress] in H&M, but this has Lovers colours. And also matching rings and necklace; love, love.”

Sarah Allsopp recreated the You Need to Calm Down music video, with fake butterfly tattoos on her back. After a quick YouTube search and little dance, I can confirm Swift sports the same back tattoo in the film clip. Guardian fact-checking at it’s finest right there.

Bree Leitch went one step further and got a snake tattoo on her arm “for the concert”. And yes, it’s real.

We’re getting some good Twitter/X footage, which bodes well for reception!

Here is Sabrina Carpenter performing Vicious.

And here’s that Olivia cover:

Crowds are filling the stadium now while Sabrina performs. She’s doing a cover of Hopelessly Devoted to You, in honour of Olivia Newton-John.

Here’s one of Sabrina’s hit songs, Nonsense.

Apparently Sabrina just said “Australians are so hot”, which, true.

In other news, our Guardian group chat is popping off!

Sian said earlier:

The vibes are very calm! It’s like the opposite of a sport game.

Even the cops have bracelets on.

I expect this has changed now that the concert has started.

Matilda shared a pic of the free light-up bracelets she’s secured:

Sian shared her girl dinner pre-concert:

And our colleague Meadow Nguyen got a Tay Tam!

Oooh here she is!

And here:

What to expect from Sabrina Carpenter’s set?

We are told there was “just an announcement and some cheers” from within the stadium, indicating Sabrina Carpenter is on stage.

Carpenter’s hit songs are Feather and Nonsense, so they will definitely get a run – but Nonsense has its own moment to watch out for: each time she plays it live she adds a few city-specific (and usually sexually explicit) lines to the outro.

For example:

“I just wanna ride him like a rodeo / But first he gotta grow it like Pinocchio / Sorry I’m so vulgar, San Antonio.”

In fact, they got so raunchy that her performance on BBC’s Live Lounge was taken off YouTube shortly after being uploaded, and was promptly replaced with a version cutting abruptly before the outro.

Luckily we have no such qualms – she sang:

“I’m American I am not British / So BBC it stands for something different / This live lounge is just so lit because I’m in it.”

It’s a savvy trick that means each time she plays you can be sure hundreds of videos will be uploaded by fans. Now a viral sensation, she was quickly snapped up by Swift to open for her during the international leg of her tour – and since her first Eras slot, she’s established another TikTok-able moment: a small dance section of the song Feather.

We’re ten minutes from the scheduled start time for Sabrina Carpenter’s opening set. We all know Swift’s 2016 villain arc (the Kanye West video) and redemption story (arguably the Lover era), but did you know that Carpenter has been through this public-opinion hero’s journey too?

The US pop star started off on the Disney Channel, playing Maya Hart on Girl Meets World. She put out a few songs during her stint on the show, and was liked well enough, but it was a different Disney star that threw Carpenter into the public eye: Olivia Rodrigo, whose hit debut album Sour was almost definitely about her breakup from Joshua Bassett, who, according to the album at least, began dating another girl VERY shortly after their split.

The hints in the lyrics of Rodrigo’s songs hint at who that girl could have been: Sabrina Carpenter, seen hanging out with Bassett in the months after the breakup – and who suffered the wrath of the internet as a result.

Luckily, she’s very funny – and as the initial wave of hate died down, she started winning people over on social media with posts like this.

And here she is meeting fans at Melbourne airport – and receiving her first koala.

What’s everyone wearing?

For the Eras tour, Swifties are spoilt for choice over which era they want to dress up in. Fearless girlies have the cowboy hats and gold sparkly dresses, Folklore girlies can wear anything flowing and cottage-core inspired, and fans of Midnights are opting for navy and stars (and anything bejewelled).

And if you’re still stuck here’s a mood board from the Eras queen herself:

Don’t forget to send us your thoughts/selfies/comments/general vibe: melb.eras@guardian.co.uk

The lengths Swifties have gone to be at the Melbourne concert tonight …

If you want to send us fun facts/pics/a lot of emotions, hit us up at melb.eras@guardian.co.uk

Rebecca, 30, and Dana, 27, forked out for VIP seats tonight and have just emerged from the merch queue – “it’s not that bad, we only waited for 40 minutes”.

“We’re in the Lover era,” Rebecca explains. “We wanted something pink but very practical as she [Dana] is pregnant and I’ve just had a baby. So free-flowing, but with a heart bumbag to give us a waist. Cute but practical.”

Also – this cute tweet!

Now we are inching our way closer to the actual concert, let’s talk about the different “Eras” Taylor will be performing tonight.

The concert is a journey through all her musical eras, broken up among her 10-album discography (excluding her re-recorded albums).

We have jumbled them up back into their chronological order, so to not spoil the setlist order. Although if you are worried about spoilers you should tune out preeeetttttyyyyy soon.

Fearless. This era encapsulates Taylor’s early days as a country singer and songwriter, featuring songs from her 2008 album that put her on the map.

• The look: sparkly dresses, cowboy boots, curly hair, pleated skirts.

Speak Now. Speak Now is Taylor’s third album released in 2010. She wrote the entire album.

Red. Taylor’s 2012 record is a fun time.

• The look: high-waisted shorts, red, white and black t-shirts, red lipstick.

1989. Taylor’s fifth and arguably biggest album: hit after hit, which was really how it felt to be a Swiftie, watching Tay shine in 2014.

• The look: set pieces, ankle boots, sequinned bomber jackets, white sunglasses, red lipstick.

Reputation. In 2017 Taylor released her sixth studio album that sent some Swifties in tailspin. I grew to love this era, and loved seeing her perform this album live.

• The look: black leather jacket, fishnet tights, sparkly red, burgundy lipstick.

Lover. Taylor’s seventh studio album, Lover was released in 2019.

• The look: pastel tie-dye tees, butterflies, temporary hair dye, anything pink with hearts!

folklore. This lowercase era is for Taylor’s first lockdown album in 2020.

• The look: cardigans, cottage-core, flowery dresses, ruffled Victorian blouses.

evermore. Her second lockdown album, released in 2020, similar vibe.

• The look: plaid check coat, turtle necks, sweater vests, braided hair.

Midnights: This is the era we are living right now. Midnights is Swift’s tenth and latest album.

• The look: navy blue, purple fluffy coat, stars, blue glittery eyeshadow.

It’s no wonder people have likened this concert to a broadway musical.

The New South Wales environment minister has sought to assure Taylor Swift fans that the pop star’s Sydney concerts will go ahead next weekend, amid an asbestos scare at the precinct where she’s due to perform.

On Friday, the day after a special taskforce was launched to aid investigations into sites where mulch containing asbestos may be present, testing was conducted at a location at Sydney Olympic Park, where Swift is set to perform to hundreds of thousands of fans over several concerts.

Testing occurred on mulch on a median strip on a divided road on Friday, in a spot understood to be away from where the public would be expected to cross when going to Stadium Australia, where Swift will perform.

No traces of asbestos were found on Friday, and a backup test is being conducted as a precaution, NSW environment minister Penny Sharpe said on Friday afternoon.

If the follow up test finds traces of asbestos, the mulch will be removed in time for Swift’s concerts, Sharpe said.

Sharpe said:

This will not stop Taylor Swift performing in Sydney.

Sydney Olympic Park Authority is inspecting mulch that came from the supply chain under investigation, that has been used on a median strip on a divided road.

We are testing samples but, regardless, we can remove the mulch and remediate before Taylor Swift takes to the stage in the Harbour City.

Walking into the MCG, our correspondent Sian Cain had to stop Blessing, 28, and Praise, 24, two sisters who have amazing outfits corresponding to their favourite Swift albums.

“I can’t wait. If I think about it too much, I might start crying,” said Praise, whose favourite era is Midnights.

“I can’t wait,” says Blessing (favourite eras: Folklore and Red).

Meanwhile, our reviewer Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen has made it into the MCG – and whoever sorted her ticket deserves some kind of prize. We are all insanely jealous.

‘Swifties are the kindest kids you’ll ever meet’

Guardian reader Lerna has sent an email to our tip line – melb.eras@guardian.co.uk – telling us her daughters will be reading this blog. That’s a lot of pressure!

My 16-year-old daughter and her bestie will be following along. They are massive Swifties but no matter how hard we tried we weren’t successful on getting tickets so they’re together tonight following the blog.

Swifties are the kindest kids you’ll ever meet and we all wish everyone attending tonight and over the weekend the absolute best time! Tay Tay is The. Best. Role Model!!!”

Another reader Ed has sent in this delightful pic. “My daughter Elly and her friends are seated, excited and thrilled.”

The joy. THE JOY!!!

‘The best thing since sliced bread’

We have Guardian’s video whizz turned Swifty correspondent Lisa Favazzo on the ground armed with an iPhone and boom microphone, speaking with excited fans.

Sendhil Rungasamy and Urva Patel travelled all the way from New Zealand to Melbourne to see T-Swift. They were so busy saving up for the travel costs they didn’t have time to make friendship bracelets.

“You can’t miss the Eras tour … it’s the best thing since sliced bread,” said Rungasamy.

“We were working full-time to save up for the trip, one of our friends gave us this (the bracelet).”

Julie Cameron told Favazzo she’d been a fan of Swift since “she was in country”.

“She’s such a good role model for the younger girls. She’s just an amazing person all round.”

Venue being tested for asbestos prior to Sydney shows

To sidestep from Melbourne for a moment:

The Daily Telegraph has reported that Sydney’s Olympic Park will be tested for asbestos this weekend, ahead of Taylor Swift’s concerts next week.

The news comes amid an expanding asbestos investigation happening across Sydney.

A government source told the DT that the testing is proactive. The exact location is yet to be confirmed.

Taylor is set to perform four shows at Olympic Park on Friday 23, Saturday 24, Sunday 25 and Monday 26 February. About 320,000 fans are expected to be at Olympic Park for the Eras concert and a Blink-182 show, per the DT.

More to come …

MCG turf to ‘lose two-thirds’ ahead of men’s AFL season

It’s the start of the men’s AFL season just a few weeks away, some are wondering what mark three Taylor Swift concerts and nearly 300,000 fans will leave on the hallowed ground.

Very understandable, given last year Ed Sheeran’s team reportedly spent $1.5m replacing the turf after his two record-breaking performances eight days before round one.

Footy supporters can breathe a sigh of relief though: this morning the chief executive of the Melbourne Cricket Club, Stuart Fox, said the process for replacing the turf in time for the footy season will be much the same as it was after Sheeran’s visit.

“This will be the biggest impact we’ve ever had on our turf, this concert, and that’s obviously because of the overlay on the turf, so we actually will lose around two-thirds of the turf,” Fox told 3AW.

“We’ve got a contract with a turf farm off-site, we’ve got 12,000 square metres of turf coming in next Tuesday once the bump-out’s complete and that is all replaced. It’s a huge impact, about a 12-day job to get it ready for round one [of the AFL].”

There was some criticism from players and coaches after AFL round one last year that the field wasn’t up to scratch – but it did pass all preseason checks and the replacement process was deemed a worthwhile success.

And never mind grand final day, Fox said the buzz around the city and the stadium in recent days was unprecedented.

“I’ve not seen a buildup like it before at the ’G. Logistically very challenging, but the hype and buildup has been incredible, particularly from the fans.”

In case you were wondering, Swift will be kicking towards the Punt Road end of the ground.

Has Taylormania surpassed Beatlemania?

John emailed the Guardian just now with this beautiful note:

I am in my 70s. Two years ago I had scarcely heard of Taylor Swift. Now here I am following your blog of her Melbourne concert. It is very moving. I hope all these wonderful young people have a magnificent time. I haven’t had this much fun since the Beatles in the 60s. It was easier to get tickets then.

You can also send us your thoughts on: melb.eras@guardian.co.uk

Dressing for a Taylor Swift concert is no easy feat. The concert is a journey through all Swift’s musical eras, broken up among her 10-album discography, and as we explained earlier, each “era” demands a very specific dress code.

Tisha Aisyah Afliansh says as a recently engaged Taylor Swift fan she had no choice by to encompass the Lover era.

“I just found this [dress] in H&M, but this has Lovers colours. And also matching rings and necklace; love, love.”

Sarah Allsopp recreated the You Need to Calm Down music video, with fake butterfly tattoos on her back. After a quick YouTube search and little dance, I can confirm Swift sports the same back tattoo in the film clip. Guardian fact-checking at it’s finest right there.

Bree Leitch went one step further and got a snake tattoo on her arm “for the concert”. And yes, it’s real.

We’re getting some good Twitter/X footage, which bodes well for reception!

Here is Sabrina Carpenter performing Vicious.

And here’s that Olivia cover:

Crowds are filling the stadium now while Sabrina performs. She’s doing a cover of Hopelessly Devoted to You, in honour of Olivia Newton-John.

Here’s one of Sabrina’s hit songs, Nonsense.

Apparently Sabrina just said “Australians are so hot”, which, true.

In other news, our Guardian group chat is popping off!

Sian said earlier:

The vibes are very calm! It’s like the opposite of a sport game.

Even the cops have bracelets on.

I expect this has changed now that the concert has started.

Matilda shared a pic of the free light-up bracelets she’s secured:

Sian shared her girl dinner pre-concert:

And our colleague Meadow Nguyen got a Tay Tam!

Oooh here she is!

And here:

What to expect from Sabrina Carpenter’s set?

We are told there was “just an announcement and some cheers” from within the stadium, indicating Sabrina Carpenter is on stage.

Carpenter’s hit songs are Feather and Nonsense, so they will definitely get a run – but Nonsense has its own moment to watch out for: each time she plays it live she adds a few city-specific (and usually sexually explicit) lines to the outro.

For example:

“I just wanna ride him like a rodeo / But first he gotta grow it like Pinocchio / Sorry I’m so vulgar, San Antonio.”

In fact, they got so raunchy that her performance on BBC’s Live Lounge was taken off YouTube shortly after being uploaded, and was promptly replaced with a version cutting abruptly before the outro.

Luckily we have no such qualms – she sang:

“I’m American I am not British / So BBC it stands for something different / This live lounge is just so lit because I’m in it.”

It’s a savvy trick that means each time she plays you can be sure hundreds of videos will be uploaded by fans. Now a viral sensation, she was quickly snapped up by Swift to open for her during the international leg of her tour – and since her first Eras slot, she’s established another TikTok-able moment: a small dance section of the song Feather.

We’re ten minutes from the scheduled start time for Sabrina Carpenter’s opening set. We all know Swift’s 2016 villain arc (the Kanye West video) and redemption story (arguably the Lover era), but did you know that Carpenter has been through this public-opinion hero’s journey too?

The US pop star started off on the Disney Channel, playing Maya Hart on Girl Meets World. She put out a few songs during her stint on the show, and was liked well enough, but it was a different Disney star that threw Carpenter into the public eye: Olivia Rodrigo, whose hit debut album Sour was almost definitely about her breakup from Joshua Bassett, who, according to the album at least, began dating another girl VERY shortly after their split.

The hints in the lyrics of Rodrigo’s songs hint at who that girl could have been: Sabrina Carpenter, seen hanging out with Bassett in the months after the breakup – and who suffered the wrath of the internet as a result.

Luckily, she’s very funny – and as the initial wave of hate died down, she started winning people over on social media with posts like this.

And here she is meeting fans at Melbourne airport – and receiving her first koala.

What’s everyone wearing?

For the Eras tour, Swifties are spoilt for choice over which era they want to dress up in. Fearless girlies have the cowboy hats and gold sparkly dresses, Folklore girlies can wear anything flowing and cottage-core inspired, and fans of Midnights are opting for navy and stars (and anything bejewelled).

And if you’re still stuck here’s a mood board from the Eras queen herself:

Don’t forget to send us your thoughts/selfies/comments/general vibe: melb.eras@guardian.co.uk

The lengths Swifties have gone to be at the Melbourne concert tonight …

If you want to send us fun facts/pics/a lot of emotions, hit us up at melb.eras@guardian.co.uk

Rebecca, 30, and Dana, 27, forked out for VIP seats tonight and have just emerged from the merch queue – “it’s not that bad, we only waited for 40 minutes”.

“We’re in the Lover era,” Rebecca explains. “We wanted something pink but very practical as she [Dana] is pregnant and I’ve just had a baby. So free-flowing, but with a heart bumbag to give us a waist. Cute but practical.”

Also – this cute tweet!

Now we are inching our way closer to the actual concert, let’s talk about the different “Eras” Taylor will be performing tonight.

The concert is a journey through all her musical eras, broken up among her 10-album discography (excluding her re-recorded albums).

We have jumbled them up back into their chronological order, so to not spoil the setlist order. Although if you are worried about spoilers you should tune out preeeetttttyyyyy soon.

Fearless. This era encapsulates Taylor’s early days as a country singer and songwriter, featuring songs from her 2008 album that put her on the map.

• The look: sparkly dresses, cowboy boots, curly hair, pleated skirts.

Speak Now. Speak Now is Taylor’s third album released in 2010. She wrote the entire album.

Red. Taylor’s 2012 record is a fun time.

• The look: high-waisted shorts, red, white and black t-shirts, red lipstick.

1989. Taylor’s fifth and arguably biggest album: hit after hit, which was really how it felt to be a Swiftie, watching Tay shine in 2014.

• The look: set pieces, ankle boots, sequinned bomber jackets, white sunglasses, red lipstick.

Reputation. In 2017 Taylor released her sixth studio album that sent some Swifties in tailspin. I grew to love this era, and loved seeing her perform this album live.

• The look: black leather jacket, fishnet tights, sparkly red, burgundy lipstick.

Lover. Taylor’s seventh studio album, Lover was released in 2019.

• The look: pastel tie-dye tees, butterflies, temporary hair dye, anything pink with hearts!

folklore. This lowercase era is for Taylor’s first lockdown album in 2020.

• The look: cardigans, cottage-core, flowery dresses, ruffled Victorian blouses.

evermore. Her second lockdown album, released in 2020, similar vibe.

• The look: plaid check coat, turtle necks, sweater vests, braided hair.

Midnights: This is the era we are living right now. Midnights is Swift’s tenth and latest album.

• The look: navy blue, purple fluffy coat, stars, blue glittery eyeshadow.

It’s no wonder people have likened this concert to a broadway musical.

The New South Wales environment minister has sought to assure Taylor Swift fans that the pop star’s Sydney concerts will go ahead next weekend, amid an asbestos scare at the precinct where she’s due to perform.

On Friday, the day after a special taskforce was launched to aid investigations into sites where mulch containing asbestos may be present, testing was conducted at a location at Sydney Olympic Park, where Swift is set to perform to hundreds of thousands of fans over several concerts.

Testing occurred on mulch on a median strip on a divided road on Friday, in a spot understood to be away from where the public would be expected to cross when going to Stadium Australia, where Swift will perform.

No traces of asbestos were found on Friday, and a backup test is being conducted as a precaution, NSW environment minister Penny Sharpe said on Friday afternoon.

If the follow up test finds traces of asbestos, the mulch will be removed in time for Swift’s concerts, Sharpe said.

Sharpe said:

This will not stop Taylor Swift performing in Sydney.

Sydney Olympic Park Authority is inspecting mulch that came from the supply chain under investigation, that has been used on a median strip on a divided road.

We are testing samples but, regardless, we can remove the mulch and remediate before Taylor Swift takes to the stage in the Harbour City.

Walking into the MCG, our correspondent Sian Cain had to stop Blessing, 28, and Praise, 24, two sisters who have amazing outfits corresponding to their favourite Swift albums.

“I can’t wait. If I think about it too much, I might start crying,” said Praise, whose favourite era is Midnights.

“I can’t wait,” says Blessing (favourite eras: Folklore and Red).

Meanwhile, our reviewer Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen has made it into the MCG – and whoever sorted her ticket deserves some kind of prize. We are all insanely jealous.

‘Swifties are the kindest kids you’ll ever meet’

Guardian reader Lerna has sent an email to our tip line – melb.eras@guardian.co.uk – telling us her daughters will be reading this blog. That’s a lot of pressure!

My 16-year-old daughter and her bestie will be following along. They are massive Swifties but no matter how hard we tried we weren’t successful on getting tickets so they’re together tonight following the blog.

Swifties are the kindest kids you’ll ever meet and we all wish everyone attending tonight and over the weekend the absolute best time! Tay Tay is The. Best. Role Model!!!”

Another reader Ed has sent in this delightful pic. “My daughter Elly and her friends are seated, excited and thrilled.”

The joy. THE JOY!!!

‘The best thing since sliced bread’

We have Guardian’s video whizz turned Swifty correspondent Lisa Favazzo on the ground armed with an iPhone and boom microphone, speaking with excited fans.

Sendhil Rungasamy and Urva Patel travelled all the way from New Zealand to Melbourne to see T-Swift. They were so busy saving up for the travel costs they didn’t have time to make friendship bracelets.

“You can’t miss the Eras tour … it’s the best thing since sliced bread,” said Rungasamy.

“We were working full-time to save up for the trip, one of our friends gave us this (the bracelet).”

Julie Cameron told Favazzo she’d been a fan of Swift since “she was in country”.

“She’s such a good role model for the younger girls. She’s just an amazing person all round.”

Venue being tested for asbestos prior to Sydney shows

To sidestep from Melbourne for a moment:

The Daily Telegraph has reported that Sydney’s Olympic Park will be tested for asbestos this weekend, ahead of Taylor Swift’s concerts next week.

The news comes amid an expanding asbestos investigation happening across Sydney.

A government source told the DT that the testing is proactive. The exact location is yet to be confirmed.

Taylor is set to perform four shows at Olympic Park on Friday 23, Saturday 24, Sunday 25 and Monday 26 February. About 320,000 fans are expected to be at Olympic Park for the Eras concert and a Blink-182 show, per the DT.

More to come …

MCG turf to ‘lose two-thirds’ ahead of men’s AFL season

It’s the start of the men’s AFL season just a few weeks away, some are wondering what mark three Taylor Swift concerts and nearly 300,000 fans will leave on the hallowed ground.

Very understandable, given last year Ed Sheeran’s team reportedly spent $1.5m replacing the turf after his two record-breaking performances eight days before round one.

Footy supporters can breathe a sigh of relief though: this morning the chief executive of the Melbourne Cricket Club, Stuart Fox, said the process for replacing the turf in time for the footy season will be much the same as it was after Sheeran’s visit.

“This will be the biggest impact we’ve ever had on our turf, this concert, and that’s obviously because of the overlay on the turf, so we actually will lose around two-thirds of the turf,” Fox told 3AW.

“We’ve got a contract with a turf farm off-site, we’ve got 12,000 square metres of turf coming in next Tuesday once the bump-out’s complete and that is all replaced. It’s a huge impact, about a 12-day job to get it ready for round one [of the AFL].”

There was some criticism from players and coaches after AFL round one last year that the field wasn’t up to scratch – but it did pass all preseason checks and the replacement process was deemed a worthwhile success.

And never mind grand final day, Fox said the buzz around the city and the stadium in recent days was unprecedented.

“I’ve not seen a buildup like it before at the ’G. Logistically very challenging, but the hype and buildup has been incredible, particularly from the fans.”

In case you were wondering, Swift will be kicking towards the Punt Road end of the ground.