Politicians Attack Taylor Swift Over ‘Eras’ Tour City Snubs

In the wee early hours of the morning, Taylor Swift stunned her Australian fans by announcing the local leg of her Eras tour… Except, uh… She’s only hitting stages in two (2) cities.

ICYMI, the Anti-Hero herself will be heading to Naarm/Melbourne and Wann-gal/Sydney next February, respectively playing two shows at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and three at Accor Stadium. Naturally, Swifties in those cities have absolutely lost their shit on social media – while everyone else is staring them down with the utmost distain.

Fans in Meanjin/Brisbane are especially mad that Swift has snubbed them, with one going so far as to declare that it’s “cemented [their] vote for the next [premier] election”. Another fan mentioned that at Swift’s last show in the city, she quipped that she’ll “ALWAYS play Brisbane”, noting that they’re certainly “being played” with their omission from the tour news.

Meanwhile, in Kaurna/Adelaide, one fan stated they were “so tired of artists forgetting that Adelaide exists”, and another shared the opinion that “if anyone could fill out an Adelaide Centre it’s Taylor Swift”. And in Boorloo/Perth, one (rather dramatic) Swiftie said the snub “is actually a hate crime”, while another quipped that “Taylor Swift not going to Perth is payback to them for stealing Coldplay from the rest of the country”.

Now, even politicians have weighed in. In a post shared on Facebook, Steven Miles (QLD’s deputy premier) quoted an impressive eight Swift tracks in saying, “Brisbane’s been left with Sweet Nothing, she Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve come to Queensland. It Hits Different that we’ve missed out, especially with the news breaking on Maroon day. I’m seeing Red, I’d be Mr Perfectly Fine if Taylor booked shows here.

“Long Story Short, a new arena at Roma Street and a bigger, better Gabba will Mean we can attract more of the biggest artists like Taylor Swift. That would leave Queenslanders as the Lucky Ones.”

Boorloo’s Patrick Gorman – a federal Labor member for the WA capital and assistant minister to PM Anthony Albanese – had a very similar gag in mind, referencing five tracks (and making a pun on the pop star’s name) in his Tweet: “It is a Cruel Summer that has Sweet Nothing for Perth in the Taylor Swift 2024 international tour. We have a Taylor made venue at Optus Stadium. WA is Ready For It. No Bad Blood, I am confident the Swifties of WA will use all their powers to Change this.

Taking a more somber tone was Tom Koutsantonis, SA’s minister for transport and infrastructure, who told 10 News that his daughter was particularly cut by Swift’s choice to snub Kaurna. He said: “So my daughter woke up this morning and I told her, ‘Sweetheart, Taylor Swift’s coming to Australia.’ She screamed and she said, ‘Entertainment Centre or Adelaide Oval?’ And I said, ‘No, MCG.’ And I gotta say, I’m really disappointed.

“So for those South Australians who are Taylor Swift fans, get onto her Facebook page and get onto her Twitter site, and let her know that Daddy wants his little girl to see Taylor Swift and he’s not taking her to Melbourne.”

Adding to the sentiment, Nadia Clancy, member for Elder, said she was “bitterly disappointed” over the snub. “I was very, very excited for some Taylor time,” she continued. “My six-year-old was very excited. And I will be speaking with all of my colleagues – and potentially doing a grievance in Parliament next week – to try to encourage Taylor to please come to town.”

Head here more info on the Australian leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.

The run will mark her first time Down Under since 2018, when she hit four cities – Boorloo and Meanjin alongside Naarm and Wann-gal – in support of her Reputation album. She’s since released four original studio albums (Lover in 2019, Folklore and Evermore in 2020, and Midnights in 2022) and two Taylor’s Version remakes of previous efforts (Fearless and Red, both in 2021).

A third Taylor’s Version remake album – a new take on her 2010 LP Speak Now – will be released on July 7 via Republic, as revealed at one of the Nashville dates of the Eras tour. Earlier this month, Swift shared the album’s full tracklist, sporting guest spots from Fall Out Boy and Paramore’s Hayley Williams. That news came shortly after Swift was named the second richest woman in music, with a net worth of $740 million.

Also this month, the Eras tour was hyped up by none other than Gwen Stacy (RIP) herself, Emma Stone. In a chat with Vanity Fair, the Hollywood heavyweight raved about her time at the opening date of Swift’s tour in Arizona: “The concert was pretty amazing,” she said. “I was lucky ’cause we’ve been friends for a really long time. I’ve known her since we were 17 and 18, so she hooked me up, which was very nice ’cause I know those tickets are impossible to get.

“She’s a wonderful friend. She blows my mind. I mean, the amount of sheer stamina to do three and a half hours and perform 44 songs and to maintain the extreme energy of the audience – I’ve never seen anything like it.”

TAYLOR SWIFT
‘ERAS’ 2024 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
with special guest SABRINA CARPENTER

Friday February 16 – Naarm/Melbourne, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Saturday February 17 – Naarm/Melbourne, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Friday February 23 – Gadigal/Sydney, Accor Stadium
Saturday February 24 – Gadigal/Sydney, Accor Stadium
Sunday February 25 – Gadigal/Sydney, Accor Stadium

Tickets: frontiertouring.com