Swiftie mania has officially descended on New Orleans, and the evidence is visible in the skyline.
The Caesars Superdome, where Taylor Swift is set to perform for the next three nights, has unveiled two sets of 140-foot-long friendship bracelets draped on the outside of the building.
The oversized artworks are a first of their kind for the arena, which is expected to see record numbers of attendees throughout the weekend.
“Every stadium‘s always trying to think, ’what can we do to stand out?‘” says Mike Hoss, a media representative for the Superdome. “You want to be noticeable, you want to be classy, you want to be respectful, and you want Taylor to think it’s cool, right?”
The bracelets are certainly hard not to notice.
They were dreamed up by Abby Jones, director of sales and marketing at the Superdome, and brought to life by Shawn Kolodny, a contemporary artist known for his “monumental outdoor projects.”
Forklifts were used to hang the giant inflatable banners, which are made from a thick, nylon-like material, similar to that used in bouncy houses.
So far, the reaction has been nearly as oversized as the decor.
“At the Pelicans game last night, I was stunned how many people came up the steps towards the arena to take photos. I have more photos of people taking photos than of the actual bracelets,” says Hoss.
In anticipation of this weekend‘s mega-crowds, Superdome officials decided to open the merchandise booths two days ahead of the first concert on Friday night.
Starting Wednesday, Oct. 24, thousands of fans have arrived at the dome to purchase a t-shirt or poster – many of which don’t even have tickets.
“I think that’s the coolest part, is the effort being made to care about the people who couldn’t get tickets,” says Hoss. “We have close to a hundred hours of merchandise sales that will take place over five days, and that’s just unheard of for us.”
Mollie Speed and and Tori Mills, Taylor Swift fans from central Florida, pose in front of the Caesars Superdome ahead of Swift’s 3-night concert series in New Orleans.Emily Topping
Taylor Swift fans line up outside the merchandise booth at the Caesars Superdome on Oct. 24, ahead of the star’s three-night concert series in New Orleans.Emily Topping
Many concert-goers, like Swifties Mollie Speed and Tori Mills, have flown from across the country to attend the event. The pair arrived in town from Central Florida, and have been eagerly anticipating this weekend for months.
After arriving at their hotel, the pair headed straight to the Superdome to snap a pic of the giant bracelets and snag some merch.
“We‘ve been fans since the beginning. I‘m 32, so I feel like I’ve been right there with (Taylor) all along,” says Mills.
Taylor Swift will perform at the Caesars Superdome on Oct. 25, 26 and 27. Official tickets are sold out, though some are still available for resale.
