Taylor Swift sets MCG record as attention turns to AFL season

Austadiums • Tuesday 20th February 2024

Taylor Swift sets MCG concert attendance record

Taylor Swift set a new record for the MCG with The Eras Tour attracting 288,000 fans over three nights to the iconic Melbourne stadium. Work is now underway to restore the ground ahead of the AFL season.

While each concert didn’t reach the attendance figures of Ed Sheeran last year, they did set a new benchmark as the highest-selling concert series and highest-selling artist of all time at the stadium.

96,000 fans attended each of Taylor Swift’s concerts across February 16, 17 and 18 at the MCG, while it was estimated up to an additional 60,000 people ‘Taylor-gated’ around the stadium in Yarra Park each night, despite pleas by authorities not to do so.

The shows are the MCG’s third-highest attended individual concerts, behind Ed Sheeran’s two performances at the MCG in March 2023, which were attended by 108,000 and 109,500.

Sheeran played his Mathematics Tour concerts ‘in the round’, meaning the stage was located in the middle of the stadium with every seat able to be filled, plus seating across most of the arena. The Eras Tour’s large stage was set at the city end of the stadium with a long runway, meaning seats behind the stage were unavailable.

With a setlist of 44 songs across a three-and-a-half-hour performance, the show takes a journey through Swift’s music catalogue spanning 18 years – from Fearless, which launched Swift into the international spotlight, all the way to her most recent album, Midnights.

Melbourne, what do I even say to you after over 288,000 of you came and danced with us in the last 3 nights ??! That was unforgettable. You were on an another LEVEL. Thank you for the memories. I’ll revisit the ones from this weekend often 🥲🫶

📷: @GrahamDenholm / @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/5KMXWZ7CVl
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) February 18, 2024

Swift is the first female artist to headline a standalone concert at the MCG since Madonna in November 1993. Across those three shows, a total of 147,329 fans were in attendance.

The show now moves on to Sydney, where Taylor Swift will perform the first of her four concerts at Accor Stadium on Friday night. About 75,000 fans are expected each night at the Sydney Olympic Park venue.

The Eras Tour is believed to be one of the biggest operations the MCG has staged, with 70 trucks used to bump the stage in and out of the stadium, while more than 12,000 sq metres of turf was on hand to repair the damage to the ground.

Work is well underway on the arena to prepare it for the 2024 AFL season, with its first match scheduled for March 14 between Carlton and Richmond.

Aerial photos revealed around two thirds of the playing surface is damaged and needs to be repaired, but despite the extent of the repair job, MCC boss Stuart Fox told the Herald Sun he has “full confidence” the ground’s turf will be in good shape ahead of the AFL season.

“With just under four weeks until the first AFL game of season 2024, our turf team have been preparing for the arena’s renovation for the last 18 months,” Fox said.

He said the team has a proven track record in managing significant and successful turf renovations as shown following the Ed Sheeran concerts last year, and that there is a more generous window now compared to last year to get the turf ready.

A swift fix of the MCG’s hallowed turf is hoped for ahead of the return of footy — after the weekend’s record breaking Taylor Swift concerts left two-thirds of the field damaged. > https://t.co/gREEu5HmGI pic.twitter.com/WWs9Sd1ZYZ
— Herald Sun (@theheraldsun) February 21, 2024

Channel Seven reported it would likely take 12 days to replace the 12,000 square metres of grass.

Marvel Stadium will also be subject to works ahead of the season, with Pink performing at the Docklands venue on February 23 and 24 and March 12 and 13.