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South Bay businesses gear up for Taylor Swift crowds
Thousands will be descending on the South Bay as Levi's Stadium gets ready to host back to back Taylor Swift concerts Friday and Saturday. KTVU's Lamonica Peters reports.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Are you ready for it? Taylor Swift is bringing her legendary Eras Tour to Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium on July 28 and 29.
With around 60,000 concertgoers attending the sold-out shows each night, getting to the stadium could be chaotic.
Levi's Stadium stated that "ticketed fans are encouraged to arrive early and carpool, utilize rideshare services, or park in designated lots and take public transit."
To ensure a safe, swift and enchanting concert experience, here's KTVU's guide to getting the big show this Friday and Saturday, along with other need-to-know details.
READ MORE: Taylor Swift to be Santa Clara's honorary mayor ahead of Eras Tour visit
When should you get to the stadium?
Both concerts are scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. with openers HAIM and Gracie Abrams.
Stadium gates will open at 4:30 p.m.
Swift's shows last more than three hours, with a fluctuating setlist that typically lands around a whopping 44 songs.
Swift has historically taken the stage a little before 8 p.m., and the concert will likely end around 11 p.m.
A day before Swift's first Santa Clara stop, early merchandise sales will begin in Red Lot 1 on Thursday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Parking lots will open at 8 a.m., and no fans are allowed to line up before this time. Parking is limited.
Taylor Swift performing at Gillette Stadium on Friday. (Scott Eisen/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management / Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Parking at Levi's Stadium
For both nights, all pre-paid parking passes are sold out.
If you purchased a parking pass, here is the map of the stadium's various lots. Parking spaces are not pre-assigned.
Parking lots will open at 2 p.m., according to the stadium's traffic advisory.
ADA parking is available in Red Lot 1 and Green Lot 1. Blue Lot 1 is not accessible.
All of Levi's Stadium's official parking information can be found here. ADA parking information can be found here.
Picking up, dropping off or taking a rideshare
Taking a getaway car? The stadium's designated drop-off area is Great America Parkway's curbside, between Tasman Dr. and Old Glory Lane.
The stadium's designated pick-up area is in Red Lot 7, which is located here.
Road closures on Tasman Dr. start on Friday morning and will last throughout the weekend, according to the stadium's website.
All of Levi's Stadium's official pick-up and drop-off information can be found here.
Public transit
Public transit never goes out of style. Many local transit systems are extending their hours for Friday and Saturday to accommodate the anticipated influx of riders.
BART
BART announced a special late night service running after Swift's concerts, with extra trains as well as extra station security and staff.
BART recommends the following route to reach Levi's Stadium.
- Take BART to Milpitas station.
- Transfer to the VTA Orange Line.
- Get off at Great America Station for Levi's Stadium.
The last regular train leaving Milpitas will depart at 11:51 p.m., and is the last train that can take riders to all BART stations. Riders can check here for real time departures.
For its special service, BART will run two limited-stop trains that will depart Milpitas around 12:30 a.m. It will only stop at the following East Bay stations, which each have large parking lots near the freeway.
- Bay Fair
- MacArthur
- Pleasant Hill
- El Cerrito del Norte
Caltrain
For fans on their way to Levi's Stadium, Caltrain recommends taking a train to Mountain View, then transferring to VTA Orange Line to Levi's Stadium.
For after the concert, Caltrain is running the following trains, including a "Swifty Special" leaving 75 minutes after the show ends.
Post-Concert - Northbound - Service Mountain View to San Francisco
- Northbound 145 - 11:33 PM
- Swifty Special will depart Mountain View 75 minutes after the end of the show.
Post-Concert - Southbound - Service Mountain View to San Jose Diridon/Tamien
- Southbound 138 - 10:48 PM
- Southbound 140 - 11:18 PM
- Southbound 142 - 11:44 PM
- Southbound 144 - 12:15 AM
- Southbound 146 - 1:18 AM
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Valley Transportation Authority is running extra bus and light rail return service for up to one hour after the concert ends.
Light rail service can take riders to Levi's from Santa Teresa, Mountain View, Winchester, and Alum Rock.
For bus riders, routes 55, 57, and 59 can take riders to Old Ironsides & Tasman, which is roughly a 6-minute walk from Levi's.
Click here for light rail and bus arrival and departure times scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
Capitol Corridor
For riders commuting as far as Sacramento, they can take Capitol Corridor's trains out of Great America (GAC) station, which is roughly a 6-minute walk from Levi's.
On Friday:
- Westbound train (to Levi's Stadium) #543 to Levi's Stadium arrives at GAC at 5:05 p.m.
- Eastbound train (to Sacramento) #550 departs GAC at 11:59 p.m.
On Saturday:
- Westbound train #743 arrives GAC at 5:37 p.m.
- Eastbound train #750 departs GAC at 11:59 pm.
If you're a Swiftie going with friends, Capitol Corridor's "Take 5 for $5" promotion allows riders to buy one full-fare ticket, then take up to five more riders for only $5 per person, each way. The one-day advance purchase is valid Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday through Sept. 4.
ACE Train
ACE train can take riders to Santa Clara's Great America (GAC) station from Stockton, Lathrop/Manteca, Tracy, Vasco, Livermore, Pleasanton and Fremont. The station is roughly a 6-minute walk from Levi's. Riders can view ACE schedules here.
Make sure you don't have to turn back: Bag policy, Taylor-gating
Bag policy
According to Levi's Stadium, your bag must be either…
- A) Transparent and no bigger than 12 in. x 6 in. x 12 in. (backpacks, fanny packs, bags, purses)
- B) A clutch that is non-transparent and no bigger than 4.5 in. x 6.5 in.
- C) Transparent 1-gallon plastic zip-lock type bag
There is no bag check service. Signs, banners, selfie sticks, and cameras with lenses larger than 3 inches are among items not allowed into the stadium.
Friendship bracelets, however, are allowed despite initial tweets saying otherwise from the stadium.
Taylor-gating
Levi's Stadium has prohibited tailgating for Swift's upcoming concerts, despite Eras Tour parking lot listening parties taking place at other legs around the country.
"Fans without event tickets will not be permitted to congregate in parking areas or on the streets," read a statement from the stadium.