Taylor Swift achieved a historic milestone by performing for her largest-ever crowd, drawing 96,000 concertgoers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Despite the sell-out status, some observant Swifties raised questions about numerous empty seats throughout the stadium, sparking speculation and disappointment among fans.
The pop sensation took the stage on Friday night for the first show of her Australian tour, expressing amazement at the massive turnout.
“My name is Taylor, and I’ll be your host this evening,” she announced, kicking off the highly anticipated show.
“Losing my mind at there being 96,000 people here. This is the biggest show that we’ve ever done. I’m fully starstruck by the fact so many people wanted to hang out with us on a Friday night in Melbourne!”
However, a disappointed music fan posted a series of images on Facebook, revealing nearly two whole sections of the stadium were empty during the performance. The images also displayed dozens of other empty seats scattered throughout the stands.
“A bit upset to see so many empty blocks of seats,” the fan expressed, adding, “I hope they are empty for a good reason.”
Former Triple M radio announcer James Anderson shared images during Swift’s performance that confirmed the existence of hundreds of empty seats.
“Pictures just in: Empty seats spotted for tonight’s Taylor Swift concert. Ticketek is firing up the queue system shortly,” he mentioned in a Facebook post.
Swifties who missed out on the sell-out show shared their disappointment on social media, with many expressing their willingness to sit in obstructed-view seats just to hear the singer live.
“I would sit behind the stage, just to be there,” one fan wrote. Another commented, “I would totally sit in those seats… They are better than nothing. I could be sitting there!”
However, some fans quickly tried to reason with the disappointed Melbourne crowd, assuring them that it was a “full house” by the time Swift took the stage.
“It was chocka, only some obstructed areas were empty,” one concertgoer commented. Another user reminded fans, “There are also capacity restrictions for the venue. Seats can’t just be filled because they’re there and empty.”
Some users pointed out that certain empty sections belonged to MCG package ticket holders, who were engaged in a pre-event dining experience until 7 pm before filling up the stands.
Despite the ongoing debate on social media, thousands of diehard fans are expected to flock to the MCG on Saturday and Sunday as Taylor Swift’s tour in Melbourne continues. The global pop icon is set to perform four shows at Sydney’s Accor Stadium next week, maintaining the excitement for her Australian tour.
