© THOMAS NIEDERMUELLER/TAS24/GETTY IMAGES FOR TAS RIGHTS MANAGEMENT
While over 74,000 lucky fans packed Munich’s Olympiastadion for a stop on Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated Eras Tour last Saturday, even more gathered just outside the venue to soak in the extravaganza. Local authorities estimated a crowd of around 40,000 Swifties congregated on Olympic Hill overlooking the stadium.
The grassy slopes overlooking the stadium have long been a prime spot for music lovers to catch a free concert under the stars. According to the park’s website, for decades the hill has hosted overflow crowds wanting to listen to world-famous acts from the comfort of a picnic blanket. On this night, it played host to thousands of denied tickets but still determined to experience the magic of a Taylor Swift show.
As her ethereal voice floated over the hills on the crisp evening air, Swift herself took a moment to acknowledge the devoted admirers gathered outside. “We’ve got people in a park outside the stadium, thousands of people listening from out there,” she told the capacity crowd with amusement. Touching videos from the evening show the rolling landscape alive with dancing silhouettes bathed in flashing lights from the stadium below.
Dubbed “Taylor-gating” by fans, congregating en masse outside venues without tickets became a phenomenon during Swift’s previous US tour stops. Anticipating the legions who would assemble on the iconic hill, organizers set up portable toilets and refreshments to accommodate the impromptu concertgoers. It seemed Munich was as swept up in Swift fever as any other city. For all those shut out of the sold-out event, Olympic Hill served as the perfect perch to feel connected to the electrifying energy within.
