All gone: Final release of Taylor Swift tickets for Melbourne and Sydney shows sell out

Newly released tickets for Taylor Swift’s Sydney shows sold out within two hours of going on sale on Friday, while Melbourne seats were snapped up in just under an hour.

The system for purchasing was the same as it was for the first release in June, when Ticketek used an online “lounge”, according to Frontier. The Sydney sale began at 10am and Melbourne at 4pm.

Kasey Theuma (right) from Carlton on hearing she can access tickets.Credit: Chris Hopkins

The US pop star will play seven dates in Australia early next year, as part of her much-anticipated Eras Tour.

Frontier Touring would not disclose how many tickets were on sale on Friday, in a tranche that included the cheapest yet released at $79.90, described as “partially obstructed side view” tickets.

Kasey Theuma, 21, from Carlton said she camped out in front of Melbourne’s Exhibition Street Ticketek office from 4am on Friday to ensure she nabbed tickets.

“We’ve had no sleep at all and are running on adrenalin, but I imagine we’ll be crashing after we secure the tickets. [I was] surrounded by six other people in line, we’re all in the same boat so we bonded pretty quickly.”

Fans camped out for the new tickets in Melbourne on Friday morning.Credit: Chris Hopkins

“We had Taylor blasting on the speaker, in terms of keeping morale up – we did 100-metre sprint races, we were asking deep questions. I have to admit there were a number of energy drinks consumed, the heart was racing. Surprisingly, the night went quicker than I thought. Lack of sleep is temporary, but this experience is forever.”

Theuma wept when she secured tickets for herself, her older sister and her younger sister, aged 10. She opted to attend the Sydney show, as they were available at 10am, rather than Melbourne, which went on sale six hours later.

“We wanted the best and quickest opportunity to secure them, if we need to drive nine hours, we will drive nine hours, if we need to buy up-scaled flights, we will do that.”

In Sydney, 23-year-old Bhakti Raithatha camped outside the Penrith Panthers Leagues Club from 10pm Thursday and was third in line. She and her friend had no sleep overnight, but it paid off once they had their tickets.

“Everyone was talking and having fun. I made friendship bracelets and the time just went by. I’m so happy about my decision to go!”

Bhakti Raithatha was one of the first Taylor Swift fans to purchase tickets in Penrith on Friday morning.Credit: Rhett Wyman

When she arrived, there were about 20 people, but by 6am the crowd was huge. “It just got crazier and crazier,” she said.

Raithatha, who is studying for a master’s degree in psychotherapy and counselling, has been a Swiftie for as long as she can remember.

“You’d be surprised how many [scientific] papers there are about Taylor Swift and the impact she has made. She really does have a positive impact on people,” she said.

Some dedicated fans also outsourced the work – and presumably the emotional load – by advertising on Airtasker for anyone willing to stand in line, virtually, for them.

Bhakti Raithatha purchases her tickets on Friday.Credit: Rhett Wyman

Colin A in Sydney called for “as many Airtaskers as possible” to come to his office at 9.45am on Friday with a phone or computer to try to buy tickets to the Eras shows, while Belle in Melbourne was after someone to help her get tickets for the Saturday concert locally. Both were offering $50 as payment.

Resale tickets will be available from 10am AEDT on Friday, November 24 via Ticket Marketplace.

Swift performs in Melbourne on February 16, 17 and 18, then Sydney on February 23, 24, 25 and 26.

Tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour helped Ticketek break sales records this year.Credit: AP

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