‘Violently shaking’: Taylor Swift left stunned by incredible scene at MCG

­Taylor Swift said she was “losing my mind” after witnessing an incredible scene midway through the opening concert of her Aussie tour.

Taylor Swift has played to sold-out crowds all over the world but it took Australia to leave her speechless.

Almost 100,000 fans gathered at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday night to watch the global megastar in her biggest concert to date - and she was blown away.

“If I seem a little bit like I’m losing my mind over the fact that there are 96,000 people here tonight ... it’s because it’s true,” Swift told the crowd.

One fan who posted a video of the crowd to social media said “the entire MCG is VIOLENTLY shaking” and others showed Swift in stunned silence as she took in the incredible scenes.

Swift couldn't hold back her emotions as she looked out over the biggest crowd of her career. Picture from Twitter.

Swift confessed she was "starstruck" by the huge crowd cheering her on. Picture from Twitter.

Swift surprised fans in Melbourne as she announced a brand new song.

Swift, who is gearing up to release her new record, The Tortured Poets Department, in April, announced that a special edition version of the record with a new cover would feature track The Bolter.

Swift then gave heartbreaking insight into her reasoning behind making the record, and confessed that it was a “lifeline” for her through a particularly hard time in her life.

“I’m very excited for April 19th. I can’t wait for you to hear all the songs. Tortured Poets is an album I think, more than any album I’ve made, is one I needed. It was a lifeline for me. It reminded me why songwriting is something that gets me through life.”

The surprise announcement came after she confessed she was “starstruck” taking in the huge crowds in Melbourne.

🚨| Taylor Swift announced an ALTERNATIVE version of "The Tortured Poets Department", with an extra song called "The Bolter". pic.twitter.com/pLqo90PSbj

— The Eras Tour (@TSTheErasTour) February 16, 2024

According to Swift, a whopping 96,000 fans were packed into Australia’s biggest stage to spend three hours singing along to her biggest hits.

She told the screaming crowd: “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!”

One fan posted Taylor’s reaction to social media with the caption: “Taylor crying at how big the 96,000 MCG crowd is.”

Swift and support act Sabrina Carpenter will play three shows over three nights at the MCG from Friday in Melbourne before jetting over to Sydney for another four shows at Accor Stadium next weekend.

Swift performed to a whopping 96,000 Aussies on Friday night. Photo by Graham Denholm/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management.

Swifties descended on Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for the first of Swift's three shows in Melbourne on Friday. Photo by William WEST / AFP.

Fans dressed up in a variety of wild outfits paying tribute to different Taylor Swift eras. Picture by NCA NewsWire / Valeriu Campan.

Fans posed for pictures outside the stadium as the queue to get in began to widen. Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images.

Shortly before hitting the stage in Melbourne, fans spotted that Swift had shared a message on the stadium’s screens paying respect to the Indigenous peoples of Australia and acknowledging Country.

🏟| The Eras Tour giving respect to the indigenous peoples of Australia ahead of the #MelbourneTSTheErasTour show with a land acknowledgment 🇦🇺

"We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people as the Traditional Owners on whose Country we are situated.

We recognise and… pic.twitter.com/bvUCLKQGQY

— Taylor Swift Updates 🤍 (@swifferupdates) February 16, 2024

Taylor Swift’s nod iconic Aussie phrase

Taylor Swift has sent fans wild with a hilarious tribute to an iconic Aussie phrase during one of her best-loved hits.

While performing the Red section of her Eras show, one of Swift’s dancers said an iconic Aussie phrase into the microphone during the spoken section of We Are Never Getting Back Together.

“So you know that we are never getting back together,” said Taylor, before handing the microphone over to her dancer, who yelled: “Yeah. NAH!” as the crowd immediately screamed back.

Fans rushed to share clips of the moment on social media, with Swift’s nod to Aussie culture clearly winning over the crowds.

Melbourne mum’s daughters left heartbroken over fake tickets

Melbourne mother Sarah had been looking forward to taking her daughters, aged 10 and 13, to tonight’s concert.

However, in a devastating turn of events, sadly the family won’t be able to see Swift perform after learning their tickets are fake.

The person who originally owned the tickets had their account hacked, and the tickets sold to a third party who on-sold them, Sarah said.

Support act Sabrina Carpenter, who has become one of Swift’s best friends in recent months, took to the stage before her superstar pal. Picture from Jake Nowakowski.

She rushed to speak to Ticketek staff at MCG in a bid to resolve the issue, but sadly nothing could be fixed in time.

“Their own system has let them down, maybe they should tell my 10 year old and deal with the tears,” she said.

Sarah has claimed the transactions took place on Ticketek’s resale platform, however the company has disputed her claim.

“This customer did not purchase her tickets through any official Ticketek platforms … therefore we are unable to verify whether the customer’s tickets are valid,” a spokesman said.

Fans line up to buy Taylor Swift merchandise ahead of her concert at the MCG. Picture by David Crosling.

Swift’s Sydney concert venue to be tested for asbestos amid scare

The location of Taylor Swift’s highly-anticipated Sydney concert will be tested for asbestos, following widespread contamination of garden mulch across the state.

Hundreds of thousands of fans of the pop superstar will descend on Sydney Olympic Park next week for the Australian leg of her Eras tour – touted as one of the biggest concert tours of all time.

But an asbestos scare in NSW has led Sydney Olympic Park authorities to confirm they will be testing mulch used on a median strip on a divided road at the complex.

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said an initial test found no asbestos but a backup test was being conducted as a precaution.

With its massive scale and fan frenzy, the tour has cemented Swift's status as one of the most influential pop stars of the 21st century. Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images.

Swift’s dad saves the day

Swift’s dad was reportedly seen handing out ticket upgrade to eager Swiftie’s who turned up to MCG when the gates first opened.

3AW radio presenter Jacqueline Felgate shared a message from a listener on Instagram revealing the heartwarming story.

According to the fan, her friend rocked up to the venue with her daughters when the venue first opened and the family all immediately sat down waiting for Swift.

However, then something incredible happened.

“Taylor Swift’s dad went around and handed them wristbands and entry into the VIP section – apparently $2k total in value,” wrote the listener.

While unconfirmed, it would make sense considering Swift’s family have been performing such acts at concerns for a while now.

Fans asking for money to fund 1,500km trip to Melbourne roasted online

Two Taylor Swift fans have embarked on a 1,500km trip from Lismore to Melbourne but a plea to the public scrawled on their car has attracted backlash.

The women, Emily and Gemma, requested donations for fuel and displayed their PayID number to the public.

“1500 KMs to Taylor Swift. #2brokegirls,” the message read.

But their fundraising efforts sparked a wave criticism on social media, with some Australians labelling it as “embarrassing and shameless” to ask for money for concert expenses while everyone is being put through the ringer amid the cost of living crisis.

“I’m not here to start fights or s*** on Taylor Swift or her fans,” one woman wrote on social media.

“I’m just making a point about how embarrassing and shameless it is to ask others for money to go to a concert because they can’t afford it.

But others saw the amusing side to their ploy, with one person even donating money to support their trip.

“This is hilarious. I have adult money so I sent them some. Hope they have fun,” the person wrote.

Originally published as ‘Violently shaking’: Taylor Swift left stunned by incredible scene at MCG