Taylor Swift fans in the north are traveling by car, bus and even plane to see Taylor Swifts Eras Tour as it arrives in Dublin at the end of June.
With no plans to play in Belfast, thousands of people will head to the Aviva Stadium to see the Tortured Poet’s Department singer on June 28, 29 and 30.
Others will travel further afield to one of her shows in London, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff.
However, north Belfast Native Meádbh Murphy is travelling almost 10,000 miles from Cairns in Australia for the show in Dublin after missing out on tickets there.
After setting off for New Zealand in 2019 the 28 year old and her partner moved to Australia in 2020, having returned to Belfast just once over the last five years.
“I tried to get both tickets for both Sydney and Melbourne but they sold out so quick,” she explained.
“Then the girls back home in Belfast said about going to Dublin for the concert. I’d already planned on heading home for a few weeks later in the summer so I booked my flights for a few weeks earlier to make the concert and they got a ticket sorted for me.
“I saw the reputation tour at Croke Park a few years back and it was brilliant. Can’t wait to experience the Eras tour with my best mates! Definitely worth the 30hours of travel.”
U105 radio presenter Denise Watson’s two teenage daughters, Samantha and Beth, travelled to Edinburgh for the concert on Sunday.
Denise, a self-confessed ‘Swiftie’, is heading to one of the Dublin concerts later this month.
“I saw her in Croke Park last time she was here. She’s a wonderful role model for my girls,” she said.
“I adore her and think she’s a major talent. Far better than Beyoncé or Lady Gaga.”
Like many fans, she struggled to get tickets and noticed a huge jump in the price of accommodation in the city.
“Annoyingly I’ve had a few people contact me asking if I could get them tickets. No guys I pay like every one of you do. I sat across three laptops watching that Ticketmaster queue line like every other fan
“The tickets themselves cost me over £350 and they are not special or VIP.
“I took a huge chance and booked the hotel before I got tickets, so I had a stressful time trying to get tickets for the same date. I got a room for three in Dublin in a central hotel for £298. I checked what it is now and its £600.”
A recent study revealed that hotels in Dublin have almost tripled their prices for the visit.
It costs on average €433 to stay overnight during the Dublin leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.
The cheapest hotel costs €159, and the most expensive is €1,217 for an overnight stay
When Taylor Swift isn’t in town, hotel prices on average are just €189 per night.
Fans can also travel to Taylor with Translink with spaces still available on Derry, Strabane and Omagh Bus Specials.
According to a recent Barclays ‘Swiftonomics Report’ fans attending the Eras Tour are each predicted to splash out £848 on tickets, travel, accommodation, outfits, and other expenses.
This is more than 12 times the average cost of a night out.
More than 1.2m fans are expected catch the superstar for 18 performances across five cities in the UK and Ireland this summer.
