Fans of Taylor Swift have been warned not to camp out overnight to secure the best spots when the US pop sensation rolls into Amsterdam for her record-breaking Eras Tour. Swift is playing three sell-out shows in the Dutch capital on July 4, 5 and 6 -- part of her world tour that has smashed records for the highest-grossing ever. “You are not allowed to camp or spend the night in the public space around the Johan Cruijff ArenA,” said the Amsterdam council, warning police would fine offenders.

Amsterdam officials also warned against so-called “Taylor-gating”, where Swifties without tickets turn up to listen outside the stadium and swap friendship bracelets. “Only come to the ArenA area if you are going to the concert,” said Mick Werkendam, crowd manager at the council. “And the roof of the ArenA is closed. So you won’t hear or see anything of Taylor Swift or the concert,” added Werkendam. For her first European stop in Paris, some fans camped out two days in advance to ensure they got as close as possible to their idol.

The Eras Tour has already worked its way across North and South America and Asia since starting in March 2023. By the end of the year, it had already become the first to sell more than $1 billion in tickets and is on track to more than double that by the time it concludes in Vancouver this December. Swift’s popularity shows no sign of dimming—her new album shifted 1.4 million copies on its first day and broke every streaming record going, reaching a billion streams on Spotify within five days. — AFP