Swift concert merchandise sales dominated largely by locals on first day

Two days before Taylor Swift is set to take the stage at Lucas Oil Stadium for the first of three shows in her sold-out Eras Tour, local fans were waiting in line Wednesday at the Indiana Convention Center to secure limited-edition T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags and friendship bracelets.

Still without the rush of out-of-towners expected to fill hotels throughout the Indianapolis area, the convention center space designated for a merchandise line was empty until customers reached Hall I, where fans stood in a dozen short lines. Although these lines only contained five to 10 people each Wednesday morning, they moved slowly. Shoppers reported waiting from 45 minutes to an hour to secure their purchases.

Sales of official Swift souvenirs at the convention center retail site are scheduled to continue from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and from noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The store in Hall I will not be open Sunday.

Fans who spoke to IBJ on Wednesday were from Indiana, mostly from the Indianapolis area. Their stories reflected the common difficulty fans have had in securing tickets to Swift’s Indianapolis concerts. About 80% of the 195,000 tickets that have been sold are in the hands of out-of-state Swifties.

Luckily for Katie Wood, who donned a sparkly purple dress and boots for her visit to the Convention Center, one of those out-of-state ticketholders was a former Butler University student that she taught. That student, who transferred to a college in Iowa, enlisted Wood to calm her nerves as she sat in the Ticketmaster queue.

Wood, who works in health communications at Butler, was surprised when she offered her one of the tickets.

“I was like, ‘oh, like, I’m so excited for you,'” Wood said. “And she’s like, ‘well, one of these is for you.'”

Maddie Chepers and her daughter, Hadley, failed to get tickets the first time. Instead, they traveled to Cincinnati to sit outside the stadium and listen to the echoes of Swift’s songs, a practice known as Tay-gating. They have tickets this time, and Hadley is looking forward to experiencing Swift’s “Lover” era in person, particularly the song “The Man.”

There’s less of a chance of Tay-gating this time around. Lucas Oil Stadium’s roof will be closed through the weekend and officials are encouraging those who don’t have tickets to stay off the surrounding property.

Ticketholders who shopped for merchandise Wednesday were also accompanied by non-ticket-yielding family members and friends.

Nerissa Akers, an Indianapolis stay-at-home mom, brought along her friend Anna Sexton and her 10-year-old son to snag souvenir of Swift’s stay in Indy. Akers estimates that she’s been a fan of the superstar for 18 years. She was able to get a ticket for herself, but it was prior to her friendship with Sexton.

Sexton said she’s holding on for a last-minute drop from Ticketmaster, which is a regular occurrence in the days prior to a show after the stage is set up.

Similarly, Kelsey Ross brought along her sister, Katie. While Katie secured a ticket, she was only able to secure one. She recognized that her younger sister would want it more and passed it along.

Kelsey, a bartender at Turner’s Bar in The Stutz, crafted the bar’s special Taylor Swift-themed cocktail menu for the weekend.

Ticketless locals are still trying to fight the fear of missing out by getting involved in the festivities.

Annalise Edwards, a 27-year-old who works in marketing on Monument Circle, couldn’t get tickets to the Eras Tour. She walked a few blocks to the convention center during her lunch break to buy stuff to wear while she watches a livestream on TikTok from home.

“My friends have tickets, and so I’m excited to just wear the merch, listen to music on my own, and then meet up with them afterwards,” she said.