Taylor Swift's Seattle takeover is underway. Downtown businesses say they're ... 'Ready For It'

July 21, 2023 / 11:10 am

caption: Taylor Swift performs during "The Eras Tour" on Friday, May 5, 2023, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans are getting ready to Shake It Off with her at Lumen Field this weekend. Meanwhile, many downtown businesses are hoping to fill in any Blank Space on their ledgers.

Chris Woodward is with the nonprofit neighborhood group Alliance for Pioneer Square. This weekend, he expects even more foot traffic in the area compared to the MLB All-Star game earlier this month. Many businesses in the area are welcoming visitors to Pioneer Square by offering Swift-themed specials.

Woodward said several bars are offering Eras-themed cocktails, inspired by Swift’s Eras Tour. He added that some restaurants are also offering non-alcoholic, Swift-themed specials.

Woodward recommends packing your patience, expecting long lines and traffic, and using public transportation if you visit the area this weekend.

“We are really blessed in Pioneer Square with having the light rail, ferries, buses, streetcars, and a water taxi, all converging in this specific neighborhood,” he said.

You can expect extra heavy traffic in the afternoons. The Mariners are also playing the Toronto Blue Jays this weekend. The baseball games are expected to finish around 4:30 p.m., the same time the Enchanted doors for the concert are set to open. King County Metro and Sound Transit are also offering later-than usual services to accommodate event-goers.

If you still haven’t bought a ticket but want to see the pop star Saturday or Sunday, tickets through third parties are still available. Seat Geek is selling tickets starting at around $1,600. No, that is not a Wild Dream.

Swifties who won't make it to the performances can still get themselves Bejeweled with Taylor Swift merchandise, sold by a truck outside of Lumen Field. Fans can line up starting at 8 a.m. Friday, with sales beginning at noon.

Fans in other cities have waited hours to get their hands on their concert swag. Some fans have also waited hours in the online Ticketmaster queue to buy concert tickets — a saga some Swifties know All Too Well.

Swift’s shows have lasted several hours, with the star often performing around 44 songs. The Seattle concerts are expected to finish around 11:30 p.m. If you are planning to meet up with a concert-goer afterwards, you can say, Meet Me At Midnight.