Best believe Swift mania is back in Melbourne

6 days ago 4

Maddi Starling saw not one but seven performances of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour: three in Melbourne, two in Sydney, one in LA and one in Miami.

This weekend, Starling will devote her days and nights to Swift, as the world’s biggest musician releases not only a new album but an accompanying film.

Swiftie Maddi Starling attended seven Eras tour performances and can’t wait for Taylor Swift’s new album and movie.

“I have blocked out the entire weekend,” she said.

The Melbourne woman, 34, will attend listening parties for The Life of a Showgirl and see the film, but also ponder what is next for Swift, who leaves clues about her next project for mega-fans.

Many expect Swift to release a documentary about the Eras tour, which was the most profitable live music event of all time.

Georgie Tunny, a Channel 10 journalist and co-host of a Taylor Swift podcast, will play host to a listening party for hundreds of Swifties keen to share in hearing the new album for the first time with like-minded fans. There’ll be a string quartet, showgirls, showbags – and no shortage of emotion.

Georgie Tunny is an ‘unhinged’ Taylor Swift fan and will host a listening party for her new album.

“People who aren’t Swifties or haven’t experienced listening parties, I think they’ll think we’re crazy,” said Tunny.

“So essentially, it’s myself, my co-host KP [Kirsten Ploog], our team and 300 of our closest friends who have bought tickets, will sit in a gorgeous theatre together and listen to the album as soon as it drops.”

The back-to-back album and film release is tipped to break streaming and cinema records.

For local Swifties, this will be the biggest Taylor party since she performed for 96,000 fans a night at the MCG for three nights in the summer of 2024 – Swift’s biggest ever crowd.

The Lido Cinema in Hawthorn will play repeat sessions of Swift’s new 89-minute film The Official Release Party of a Showgirl from Saturday.

The theatre will be decorated in mint green and orange – the colours of the album – and the bar will play Swift’s albums.

“People want to be entertained and music is cinema,” said Lido’s Cassidy Thomas.

Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl is out this Friday.

“We’re going to get a lot of diamanté. There’s a lyric where she says, ‘make the whole place shimmer’.”

Swift is known for her strict control over the release of her work, so Lido is yet to receive the film on site.

“They’ll probably send it to us the night before. They’re very strict with it,” Thomas said.

The film includes a clip for her new single, The Fate of Ophelia, plus her reflections on the songs from the album.

The University of Melbourne’s Swifties’ Society has three cardboard cutouts of Taylor Swift.

Alex Gwynn is part of the University of Melbourne’s 300-strong Swifties’ Society, which will host an album listening party this Friday.

Attendees will be asked to rank the songs, rate which ones surprised them and choose their favourite lyrics. There’ll also be a gem station, for guests to bedazzle themselves like their idol.

“The most important thing is our cardboard cutouts of Taylor Swift, all three of them will be there,” Gwynn said.

Over the years, the society has held Swift-themed galas, trivia nights, drag nights, arts and craft activities, karaoke nights, biscuit making and hot chocolate nights.

“Any time there’s an award show coming up and Taylor might be in attendance, we do a watch night for it. And whenever there’s an album release, we do listening parties,” Gwynn said.

Taylor Swift was projected onto Flinders Street Station throughout her 2024 tour.

When Swift toured in February 2024, city landmarks including Flinders Street Station lit up in her honour.

This time, the City of Melbourne won’t be hosting any official events, but they said there would be a Swift-themed party on Saturday night at the CBD’s Ballers Clubhouse, as well as a Swift-themed silent disco walking tour.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the Eras tour in Melbourne was “a magical moment for our city – not only did it break concert records, it marked the moment when Melbourne smiled, danced and laughed again after the COVID years”.

Taylor Swift at the MCG during her biggest ever concert.

“Just like fans across the globe, Melburnians are shaking off The Tortured Poets Department era and stepping into The Life of a Showgirl – continuing a Love Story that shows no sign of ending.

“From special cinema screenings to Swift-themed silent discos and pop-up launch parties, there’ll be no Blank Space in Melbourne as the city celebrates in style.”

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