Camping and anxiousness on the eve of Taylor Swift's live shows in Madrid: “I'm fulfilling a dream” | Culture | EUROtoday

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The live shows that Taylor Swift will give this Wednesday and Thursday in Madrid are shaking up the capital. What if the streets will likely be closed, what if the encircling colleges have needed to modify their entry instances, what if motels and tickets have tripled in value, what if celebrities like Ryan Reynolds or the Obamas arrive. The epicenter of this earthquake is across the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, headquarters in Spain of probably the most profitable musical tour in historical past. Already within the subway station you see folks with luggage with the identify of the artist. On the road, about 200 folks enter and depart the official retailer of merchandising which opened this Tuesday and some meters additional north, on Paseo de la Castellana, are the primary to queue to enter, not more than 20 followers barricaded because the morning.

“Many people follow Taylor because of her lyrics, they are like stories she tells you and they help you a lot,” says Lucía, 17, who’s standing in step with her buddy of the identical age to purchase t-shirts, sweatshirts, posters or bracelets. . Each one wears round 10 bracelets distributed on each arms, threads adorned with plastic pearls with the identify of a tune or lyric from the singer which might be exchanged between her followers. A couple of locations additional again are Laura Marcos and Lucía Adrados, 20 and 21 years outdated. They additionally attribute her success – probably the most listened to artist in 2023 on iTunes and Spotify – to how they will interpret what her songs say: “The meaning of her songs is like a poem. For anyone she has a song, for the ex, the boyfriend, the friend.”

A fan has been queuing since Monday to enter Taylor Swift's first concert at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
A fan has been queuing since Monday to enter Taylor Swift's first live performance on the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.Alvaro Garcia

Around 130,000 folks will attend the live shows on the Bernabeú between Wednesday and Thursday. About half are from outdoors Madrid and 22% are foreigners. From the latter group are Grace Chainer and her 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte, who’ve arrived from Manchester. “She is a girl who has many values,” says her mom, aligned with the fervor of her daughter. Mar Zaitonn additionally arrives from overseas, from Iceland, to accompany her daughter. They will repeat in July, when Swfit arrives in Milan: “I think she receives all this love because she respects her fans a lot.”

Las swifties, As the artist's followers name themselves, they understand their heroine as a humble, easy individual, with a “vibe that transmits something to you.” This is how the Dutch Cristina Mainsfield (34 years outdated) and The Madrid Hotel Business Association (AEHM) estimates that resort earnings on Wednesday and Thursday nights will likely be shut to twenty million euros, with common charges that might triple or quadruple regular costs.

Backpacks and plastic chairs to withstand the wait.
Backpacks and plastic chairs to resist the wait. Alvaro Garcia

A couple of streets additional north of the stadium, when the hubbub between followers, vacationers and the sector works has subsided, the primary ones who’ve began to queue for Wednesday's live performance seem. About 10 individuals are organized on the entrance to the VIP space and one other 5, about 200 meters additional, for the Track sector. With their solar loungers, journey backpacks and snacks, They have turn into a sort of celebrities that the media strains as much as interview. Some, already drained, don’t wish to discuss anymore. This just isn’t the case of Alejandro Cantillo, 22, who conveys his emotion: “I am fulfilling a dream. “His music is a diary of life.” He has been there since Monday and tonight he’s ready for a buddy to take over so he can return on Wednesday with a outfit that he has sewn himself, one other ritual between swifties.

Maggie Santander (26 years outdated) says she was the primary to reach. She has been queuing since Monday “very early.” “I have to be in front, I'm short, I'm 1.57″ tall. Her organization has placed her under a tree that provides shade and protects her from the 28 degrees that reach midday. She assures that she is taking it “calmly” and that it’s going to not be the final time she does this. “I've been spending time making bracelets and doing interviews.”

with the tour The Eras TourTaylor Swift has been touring for 14 months by means of twenty international locations on 4 continents in a present which has raised greater than 1,039 million euros, in response to Pollstar. Last April he launched his new album, The Tortured Poets Departmentwhich has turn into the best-selling album of the last decade.

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https://elpais.com/cultura/2024-05-28/acampadas-y-ansiedad-en-visperas-de-los-conciertos-de-taylor-swift-en-madrid-estoy-cumpliendo-un-sueno.html