Taylor Swift says 'Good evening' to her fans
With their "Eras Tour," Taylor Swift is coming to Gelsenkirchen. Fans have been waiting hourly for the US superstar. The singer greets her fans in the sold-out arena in German. "It won't take as long this time for me to come back," she promises.
US superstar Taylor Swift greeted her fans in German in Gelsenkirchen. "Gelsenkirchen, welcome to the 'Eras Tour'! Good evening," called out the 34-year-old to the jubilation of 60,000 fans in the sold-out arena. Thousands of fans came to the Ruhrgebiet city for Swift's first Germany concert.
"It's great to see you," she also said in German. In English, she added: "It won't be as long this time before I come back." Swift's last Germany tour was nine years ago. Her current world tour started in March 2023 and caused a worldwide sensation, with shows selling out in minutes.
"Deeper and deeper into this universe"
Many people associate the "Swiftie" fan culture with young women in glitter and sequin dresses - but not all of Swift's fans are young and female. Friends Gerrit Kludt and Denis Öhl from Hattingen also wanted to be as close as possible to the stage. The two are childhood friends, hardly ever listen to pop music, but with Swift, it was different, Gerrit explained before the concert. "Denis was the zero patient. He got me into it last summer, and somehow it all came together," he said.
When they had the opportunity to buy tickets for the front row near the stage through the fan sale in early January, they grabbed it. "Even if that's quite unusual, as they say, for middle-aged men," Gerrit thought: "Two guys in their thirties who, according to classic categories, don't necessarily belong to the target audience."
Besides the music, Gerrit was particularly impressed by the elaborate production of the "Eras Tour," he said before the concert. He had already seen the similarly named concert film twice in the fall. "Somehow, you're always deeper in this universe," he added.
Travis Kelce likely in the arena
Meanwhile, various Taylor references can be seen in Gerrit's apartment: framed tour posters, a sofa cushion with song lyrics, and a coffee mug. One song title, whose meaning he likes, he had even had tattooed on his upper arm: "Anti-Hero," or Anti-Hero, is there.
The two friends had also thought about what to wear for the concert. Since they wanted to avoid glitter, they both came to Gelsenkirchen in a football jersey from Travis Kelce. The player for the Kansas City Chiefs has been dating Swift since the previous year and seemed to have traveled to Germany with her. At least many people posted photos and videos from the concert on social media, where Kelce was seen in the VIP area.
Some fans had already gathered for a good view of the stage as early as the early morning in the waiting area. "We've been here since 4:30 am," said Emily, the 18-year-old. She had brought snacks and card games to pass the time.
Gelsenkirchen renamed itself
The promoter FKP Scorpio pointed out on its website that camping on the premises was not allowed. Some "Swifties" had camped out near the site despite this. Fans without tickets also gathered around the arena from midday on to listen to the concert from outside.
The city of Gelsenkirchen installed a new street sign with the inscription "Swiftkirchen". A student was able to unveil the sign, who had started a petition a few weeks ago and proposed the renaming.
"The bright cowboy hats are already noticeable. But the fans around the arena behave absolutely peacefully", said a spokesperson for the Gelsenkirchen police, after he had taken a look on site. Some fans spent a lot of time in the merchandise booth queue. "We want to buy shirts for ourselves and for friends at home", said Olivia. She was there with her friend Meadow and her mother Kristina from Michigan.
Gelsenkirchen expects around 200,000 fans for the three Swift concerts on July 17, 18, and 19. Further shows in Germany will follow in Hamburg and Munich.
Taylor Swift's fans in Hamburg and Munich are also eagerly anticipating her "Eras Tour". Swift previously performed in Munich in 2013 during her Red Tour. The pop icon has a deep connection with her fans, as evidenced by the large presence of Taylor Swift-related items in Gerrit Kludt's apartment, such as tour posters and song lyric-embossed sofa cushions.
