It's over, Swifties.
Today was officially the last day to buy tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Australia for February 2024 – and the general tickets for all Sydney and Melbourne shows have now sold out.
This week had been an absolute slog for fans of the wildly popular pop star, who announced she was touring Australia only weeks earlier.
The Frontier pre-sale was utter pandemonium on Wednesday as millions of fans logged onto the website to score tickets, with prices ranging from $79 to $379.
READ MORE: Taylor Swift concert ticket fail breaks Sydney mum
It was a similar story today, despite the addition to two further shows to the line-up on Thursday.
Though some fans were successful – nabbing tickets by miraculously escaping the Ticketek online lounge of doom, or by taking the old-school route of queuing at the physical box offices – many, many others were left heartbroken once again.
Keep reading to see 9Honey Celebrity's live blog of the two final sales as they happened. All times in AEST.
4.40pm: Missed out on tickets? Don't lose hope
We know you're devastated – but longtime Swiftie Jemima Skelley is here to reassure you this isn't the end of your (love) story.
"If you missed out through the regular sale, there is still a chance that you'll be able to see the Eras Tour when it comes to Australia," she writes.
Read Jemima's tips for your next steps right here.
4.09pm: Only VIP and Hotel + Ticket packages left
Sadly, we fear we are nearing the end of the road for this live blog.
Frontier Touring as confirmed tickets for A-G Reserve seats across all three Melbourne nights have officially sold out, with allocation only available for select VIP and Hotel + Ticket options.
Some Swifties willing to spend some major cash on extra packages will still be securing tickets into the afternoon, but for everyone else we say: you fought bravely.
3.40pm: Melbourne is officially (nearly) sold out
Around one hour and 40 minutes after the Melbourne general sale kicked off, Frontier Touring confirmed the Friday and Saturday shows are now all sold out.
There's still "limited" tickets for Sunday, though. And if you're willing to spend (and let's be real, most Swifties are) you'll have a higher chance of nabbing VIP and Hotel +Ticket packages.
Fans on Twitter aren't too happy though, with some admitting to waiting hours to find themselves still stuck in the purgatory of the Ticketek lounge.
Good luck to anyone still fighting for tickets!
3.17pm: Swifties are finding tickets in the most unique places
After hundreds of fans realised they could score tickets at the Ticketek office in Penrith, a group of Melbourne Swifties realised their local newsagency was selling tickets too.
Emily, a Nine employee and big Swift fan, had friends from Bendigo in Victoria line up at a newsagent, which is affiliated with Ticketek.
The lucky fans managed to score two tickets to the Sunday show in Melbourne after waiting two hours!
"They are hardcopy tickets," a delighted and bemused Emily tells 9Honey.
There are six official agencies in Victoria which sell tickets, including City Central Newsagency in Bendigo, where Emily and her pals scored tickets.
There's also affiliated agencies in every state except NT. The only ones in NSW are Penrith Panthers Leagues Club, Albury Entertainment Centre, First Inland City Newsagency in Goulburn and the Orange Civic Theatre.
Who would have thought a ticket-buying system from the '90s would be today's saving grace?
2.54pm: Melbourne is nearly sold out
Sorry to be the bearers of bad news, but Frontier Touring has confirmed there is now "very limited" availability for two out of three of the Melbourne shows.
Friday and Saturday have almost been exhausted, but fans can still score tickets to the Sunday show.
Don't lose just hope yet!
2.25pm: Swifties are securing Melbourne general sale tickets
It's only been 25 minutes but some lucky Swifties are already scoring great seats to one of Melbourne's three shows in February 2024.
Fans are taking to Twitter to share their glee with Ticketek after successfully logging on and beating the timer to buy tickets.
2.15pm: Fans still queueing up at Ticketek's Penrith office
Taylor Swift's influence is not to be underestimated.
Cluey fans who realised Ticketek actually has a physical box office in Penrith are still lining up in-person to secure tickets for Melbourne's three shows.
One fan tells 9Honey they are currently 222 in line to receive tickets for Melbourne.
"Honestly it's quite muted. Most people are here with at least one device trying to get tickets online."
"It is very very very tense down here," another fan explains. "It's packed to the brim."
9Honey understands Ticketek reserves a certain number of tickets for the physical office for fans whenever an artist is touring.
2.00pm: It's Melbourne's turn now
Are you ready for it, Melbourne? After Sydney's general sale tickets sold out in just over two hours, Melbourne fans are logging onto Ticketek once again to score tickets to one of three shows in Victoria.
After watching Sydney fans struggle to get tickets as A-G options were exhausted quickly and only VIP packages were left at the end, it filled a lot of Melbourne fans with dread.
Twitter already is alight with fans desperately tagging Ticketek for updates while watching the blue line of doom on the Ticketek website.
Nine employee Sindy tried to nab Sydney tickets during the pre-sale and today without any luck, so she and her friends are now desperately hoping for some luck in the Melbourne sale.
"After missing out on all Sydney tickets, we're now trying for Melbourne (again). My three friends and our partners are all trying, plus my work pals have so kindly offered to sit in the lounge as well," Sindy says. "Manifesting good vibes."
1.44pm: 'I didn't even know it was an option'
There's much to be said for the wonders of the internet, but it seems the old-school method can sometimes be the best way.
That seems to have been the case for some Swifties today, with many forgoing the Ticketek website in favour of queuing at the bricks-and-mortar box offices – and we understand there was plenty of ticket-buying success to be had.
9Honey's Georgia Weir "absolutely flew down" to the Ticketek office in Penrith with her sister-in-law after sitting in the online waiting room for hours, and was impressed by the smooth process.
"We had no idea that this was still a thing," she admits.
"There was only 50 people there. The line was moving quite quickly. Even though it was saying it was sold out online, everyone was still getting tickets here.
"I had another friend in Melbourne go down [to the Ticketek office] and she got two floor tickets, which is unheard of because, basically, online ... the chance of you getting floor tickets would be zero to none. But she got them within a minute, she said there was noone [at the box office] in Melbourne."
Georgia says she loves that Aussie fans have access to "old-school box offices": "It's fair, you can get in line, you know exactly where you are and you can see everyone moving through. It's amazing."
All the celebrities spotted at Taylor Swift's Eras shows View Gallery
1.15pm: Happy ending for a 9Honey Swiftie
Some 9Honey teamwork has made the Eras dream work.
Associate producer Georgia is now the happy owner of a Taylor Swift ticket, thanks to her colleague Suzy, who managed to get through the Ticketek labyrinth on her behalf.
"When my work bestie called me up I knew she had gotten through! Having a work bestie has its perks!!" Georgia says.
"Being someone who didn't want tickets for myself, even a glimpse into the desperation felt by fans watching that blue line stream across the Ticketek screen was stressful," Suzy adds.
"Although Swifties may enjoy the thrill of getting through and securing a ticket, I got the extra fun of being the bearer of good news, and telling my work bestie she was going to see Taylor in the flesh!"
Before hearing of Suzy's success, Georgia had hotfooted it to the Ticketek office in Penrith, Sydney, in a last-ditch effort to score a ticket. "I'm crying in panthers rn," she said, sending through the photo above to the rest of us on Slack.
1.10pm: Huge side effect of Aussie Eras tours
For many fans, getting a concert ticket is only half the battle won.
Given the Bad Blood singer is only performing in two cities, hoards of 'Swifties' have already set their sights on the next task – securing hotels and flights to get them there.
The surge in demand (+9400 per cent for some properties!) has seen a host of hotels already fully booked, and flights selling fast. Read more about the huge uptick in demand at 9Honey Travel.
12.50pm: Haunting levels of dedication
Nothing screams 'dedication' like trying to nab a Taylor Swift ticket while on a ghost tour in New Orleans:
That was the reality for 9Entertainment's Nicole Douglas, a dedicated Swiftie who's on holiday in the US right now.
"This is scarier than any ghost," she said of the dreaded blue line flashing across Ticketek's lounge.
12.41pm: Sydney tickets dwindle further
The Monday show in Sydney is the only one left with any VIP and Hotel + Ticket packages available now.
12.19pm: MAFS' Dom is 'screaming, crying'
There are brokenhearted Swifties all over Australia and NZ right now, but MAFS' Domenica isn't one of them.
Unable to display TikTok on this browser
Yep, Dom is one of the lucky ones, sharing her overjoyed reaction on TikTok after nabbing a ticket to see Swift – on her birthday, no less:
"SCREAMING, CRYING. The artist of my life, I finally get to see Taylor Swift in concert ON MY BIRTHDAY!!! 26/02/2024!!!!!" she wrote.
11.59am: Reminder: beware of scalpers
Social media is already flooded with posts from people claiming to have tickets for sale, but Ticketek is reminding fans there's no way to validate tickets that aren't purchased from the company directly.
11.51am: 'Allocation exhausted'
Just under two hours into the general public sale, there's some bad news for those vying for Sydney tickets. Unless, that is, you're open to getting your mitts on VIP and Hotel + Ticket packages, which are still available for all four shows:
Here's what the ticket buying page seemingly looks like for those who get through the lounge now.
The hotel packages are all $1000-plus.
11.49am: All devices at the ready
If the dedication of Aussie Swifties was ever in doubt, take a look at this photo from Abby and Charlotte, who are in Sydney trying to nab tickets.
There are eight – count 'em, eight – devices logged in.
(And now we have Anti-Hero stuck in our heads: 'I should not be left to my own devices/They come with prices and vices/I end up in crisis...')
11.37am: 'Limited availability' for three Sydney shows
We're not even two hours into the sale for Sydney tickets and already there's limited availability for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows.
Frontier Touring is urging fans to keep trying for all seating categories for the Monday show, and for ticket packages for all four.
11.31am: 'Here we go again'
Nine News and Weekend Today reporter Sophie Walsh is among the thousands of fans back in the ticketing trenches today after missing out in Wednesday's pre-sale.
Almost two hours in, she says on Twitter that "hope is fading".
If you were watching TODAY on Wednesday morning, you might have recalled seeing Sophie waiting anxiously in the newsroom as Richard Wilkins roamed around, showing viewers just how many of his colleagues had the Ticketek lounge ticking away on their screens.
"I've been on here since 7am and I've got zip," she told Wilkins at the time. Watch the video below:
11.18am: What to do if you get timed out
More than one friend of 9Honey has had the heartbreaking experience of getting through to the buying page on Ticketek's website, only to be cruelly timed out before the transaction was processed.
In a tweet to a fan in the same situation, Ticketek explains the onsite timer is designed to deter bots and scalpers.
"If you've been timed out, head back to the event page and when you're let through to the buying page, move through your purchase quickly," they advise.
10.54: A message from Taylor Swift
Swift has been quiet online as her Aussie fanbase descends into chaos, but the singer has shared an update on Twitter today.
...One entirely unrelated to the sale, but still, we'll take what we can get.
It's a trailer for the new season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, featuring her music – including the very first snippet of Back to December (Taylor's Version).
Swift's caption "Crying (Taylor's Version)" does, however, sum up the experience of many Aussie fans this week.
10.52: Important live blog update
From 9Honey's Jo Abi, who's waiting patiently in the Ticketek lounge:
10.47am: 'Limited availability' for Sydney's Saturday show
Frontier Touring has issued a PSA for Swifties aiming to attend the Sydney shows.
The Saturday night concert now has "limited availability" for tickets, so you're encouraged to try for Friday, Sunday or Monday instead.
The Monday, February 26 show was added to Swift's Aussie concert lineup on Thursday after the pre-sale descended into chaos on Wednesday.
10.34am: 'Unless you see Taylor live, you don't get it'
While you wait in the Ticketek lounge (thoughts and prayers), why not watch Swiftie Jemima Skelley share her experience of attending eight Eras shows in the US?
"Every single person there is having the time of their life," she says.
As Jemima points out, even if you land tickets in 'the nosebleed section', Taylor will ensure you'll still feel like you're part of the show: "You still feel so incorportated in the show ... I cannot tell you how magical the Eras tour is."
Unable to display TikTok on this browser
10.31am: Tickets reserved at box offices
We understand some fans have been successfully nabbing tickets in-person at Ticketek's box offices – and that there are some tickets reserved there for patrons wanting to follow this approach to purchasing, rather than through the website.
10.17am: 'I'm not expecting a lot of work to be done'
9Honey network editor Shauna Anderson has a bleak prediction for our productivity this morning.
"I'm glad the 9Honey readers are forgiving ones, as there may not be an awful lot of content produced for the next few hours," she declares.
"I'm not really expecting an awful lot of work to be done this morning, but as I sit here trying to get tickets myself... I understand why."
To prove Shauna's point, here's what one staffer's setup currently looks like:
"I am trying on my phone today as well, but I have a new theory that I can't let my phone screen leave the Tiketek page, so I can't even answer text messages!" Shauna adds.
"Let's hope no school wants to talk to me."
10.14am: Fans see early success
Fans who waited fruitlessly for hours on end during Wednesday's pre-sale might want to look away now.
It seems at least one Swiftie has scored tickets online within four minutes (yes, four) of the general sale opening:
Musician Brandon Woods shared his success on Twitter, adding in a comment, "Guys, the key is to only have one tab open on one device only. Multiple tabs and multiple devices (even on different networks) will push you behind others; good luck!"
Ticketek has also confirmed via Twitter that the site is working as expected and fans are nabbing tickets:
We also understand some fans have been successful in securing tickets the "traditional way" by attending Ticketek box offices in person.
10.05am: Kicking it old-school
As we reported earlier, fans are not just queuing online for Eras tickets, with many also hitting up Ticketek's bricks-and-mortar offices.
Penrith's Western Weekender has just shown us what that process looks like, with queuing fans issued 'wait list' tickets:
Is a physical ticket stub preferable to that dreaded blue line on the website?
Anyone who spent hours staring at the screen on Wednesday to no avail might think so...
10am: It's go time!
The Sydney sale is officially underway, as this Slack status spotted among 9Honey staff reflects:
9.54am: 'I was forced to give up my tickets last time'
One Swift fan, who we'll call Dorothea, tells 9Honey she's determined to see the Eras tour after being forced to miss out on seeing her last time she had tickets.
"For Taylor's Reputation tour, I was forced to give up my tickets when I suddenly went in for heart surgery days out from the show. I was devastated," she says.
"Years later, I am lucky to be surrounded by beautiful people who have since promised that when Taylor returns they will rally alongside me to get me to the show.
"So today I have about 13 people who have sacrificed their time to get me, a diehard fan, to Taylor's Eras Tour."
9.27am: The Ticketek lounge fills up
It's understood 800,000 fans are already waiting in the Ticketek lounge ahead of this morning's sale for Sydney tickets.
9.33am: Reminder: Taylor loves us as much as we love her
This week has made one thing abundantly clear: Aussies bloody love Taylor Swift. And, as a resurfaced interview from 2014 proves, that love is reciprocal.
Nova has dug up an interview it did with the pop icon when she was Down Under promoting her 1989 album, and in it, she declares Australia one of her "favourite places to be".
"There's such amazing crowds and such amazing fans that I just want to thank them for making this a place that I come, and I feel very at ease here, very at home, because I feel like they understand what I'm trying to do," she told the radio station.
9.19am: 'People are going to miss out'
We haven't heard the word "unprecedented" bandied around this much since the pandemic began, but yes, there's no denying the demand for Aussie Eras tickets has been enormous.
Appearing on Today this morning, tech guru Trevor Long has issued an important reminder: people are going to miss out.
"If there's 50,000 people that are lucky to buy four tickets today, there's going to be a million people disappointed," he said.
Long reminded fans not to refresh their Ticketek browser, and not to open multiple tabs within one browser or on one device.
"I think maybe running a sneaky mobile phone and laptop, [you're good]," he added.
9.04am: There's a physical queue, too
Hands up if you've heard some variation of this in the past week: "Back in my day, we used to have to camp outside ticket offices for hours to get tickets. You kids don't even understand! Bah humbug!"
Yeah, us too. Well, it seems fans are throwing it back to ye olden days by queuing up outside Ticketek's offices! And according to one fan, the "vibes are immaculate":
Unable to display TikTok on this browser
Some Melbourne fans revealed in a Facebook group that they'd been waiting since 7pm on Thursday.
Now that is dedication:
It's also understood this is the case in Sydney, too.
8.40am: Swifties prepare for The Great War
After the frenzy of Wednesday's pre-sale, fans who missed out on tickets are putting their newfound wisdom to use for today's scramble.
9Honey's Jo Abi, who is hoping to buy tickets as a gift for her daughter Kitty and felt "deflated" after Wednesday's showdown, says she's "playing a longer, calmer game" today.
"There will be three of us trying for tickets for my daughter – me, my partner and my daughter is going to log on from school because a lot of her friends are too," Jo says.
"If we get tickets, great, if not, we tried. I am just so over this stress. It has ruined my week. Never want to do this again, ever."
Fans divided over song Swift might sing in Sydney View Gallery
8.30am: 'I'd go to every show if I could'
If you're wondering whether the stress of securing tickets is worth it, Jemima Skelley is here to reassure you it is.
The Swift stan has been to eight of the Eras shows so far, having flown to the US as the history-making tour kicked off.
"I've been called a ticket hog and financially irresponsible, but honestly I don't care," Skelley wrote for 9Honey yesterday.
"Seeing the Eras tour was one of the most surreal, happy moments of my life, and I'd go every single night if I could."
If you're not too burnt-up with jealousy, you can read Jemima Skelley's full account here.
8.25am: Tips from a Ticketek insider
If the sight of the Ticketek lounge (below) leaves you in a cold sweat after staring at it fruitlessly for hours during Wednesday's pre-sale, well, you're not alone.
We can't ease your pain by handing over free tickets, but we did chat with a Ticketek insider to answer all your burning questions about how the purchasing process actually works.
You can read all the answers here, but the cliffnotes are as follows:
- There isn't a "queue" once you're in the Ticketek lounge, but constantly refreshing your browser isn't going to help, either. The insider tells us, "Refreshing your browser does not increase your chances of getting tickets."
- It isn't worth the stress to sit on Ticketek for hours before the sale kicks off. The insider tells us: "The randomisation starts once the on-sale commences, so there is no advantage for fans to jump on hours before. We recommend that fans log on 15 minutes earlier just so they are ready once the on-sale kicks off."
- Despite rumours that logging on the Ticketek website at work as your colleagues do the same will kill your chances of getting tickets, the insider says this isn't an issue.
They explain that if you have already made your way into the website's lounge, you have already been verified as a fan (and not as a bot). This means multiple people logging in from one office location can be verified as fans at the same time.
For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here
