It is the week of Taylor Swift’s three consecutive shows at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. I am almost in disbelief that I’ll finally get to see her perform after years and years of waiting!
With the grand scale of this tour, it is completely understandable to feel anxiety in addition to your excitement. This will be my first stadium show…ever, so I’m not entirely sure what to expect. But thankfully, Twitter and an article from the Tampa Bay Times have helped me to feel prepared for this weekend.
If you’re on Swiftie Twitter in any capacity, I’m sure you’ve seen the insane merch lines for the shows. I’ve heard that some people will be waiting for over 3 hours and still not be able to get their merch before Taylor comes on. While I understand wanting your merch at the stadium, I will be purchasing merch online at Taylor’s official store. This makes me feel a lot less stressed about trying to plan for merch when I’m unsure if I’ll be able to get any. There are in-person merch exclusives but you can find the majority of the items here:
Though I don’t have to plan time to get merch, I still have to account for traffic, lines, and security. Thankfully, the Tampa Bay Times has published an article with lots of helpful times and information about the Tampa shows.
I plan to arrive at the stadium when the doors open, which is approximately two hours before the first opening act. So, I need to take time for traffic into consideration. It goes without saying that there will be ridiculous traffic before and after the show. I plan to drive to a nearby area and walk to the stadium so I can avoid parking fees and heavy traffic directly in front of the stadium. Traffic can take up a lot of your time traveling to the stadium so beware and get ready early!
However, before you even get into the stadium, to ensure that everyone moves through security quickly, ensure that you have the correct bag dimensions and are not carrying any prohibited items. The bag policy for Raymond James is very strict, and small, so I may not bring one at all!
Even though I have a plan for my Tampa show, it is important to remain flexible throughout the night. I’m determined to not be stressed and to have the most memorable night!
I hope my plan helped you prepare for your own Eras show! The most important thing about this tour is that we all have a great time!