Taylor Swift concert merchandise on sale Thursday at 8 a.m. at Levi's Stadium
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Thousands of "Swifties" are heading to Santa Clara to see Taylor Swift, and fans will have a chance to snatch up merchandise ahead of this weekend's concerts.
Starting at 8 a.m. Thursday, Swifties can go Levi’s Stadium Red Lot 1 to buy concert merchandise. Sales begin at 10 a.m. and parking will be limited, so people are asked to use public transportation if they can.
Transportation officials say they’re ready to handle the crowds.
"If we see a huge demand to different places before the concert starts, then we’ll try and go with the flow there and put on that extra service if we need to," said Stacey Hendler Ross, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Public Information Officer.
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With at least 10,000-12,000 people expected to take public transportation to get to the stadium, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority officials say they’ve been coordinating with BART and CalTrain for months to prepare for additional riders.
"At 4:30 on each day of the concert, we’re going to add extra trains to our service. So, more trains will be running. Light rail service will be more frequent along all of three routes to the stadium," Hendler Ross said.
VTA say it will also continue service for at least one hour after the concert ends or as long as it takes to get people back to their destinations.
Swift's concerts across the nation have resulted in economic booms for many host cities, and restaurant owners near Levi's Stadium say they’re gearing up for the large crowds.
Amakai Japanese Cuisine on Great American Parkway says the last time they served Swift fans was before the pandemic, and although they don’t have as many employees now, they’re going above and beyond to give good service this weekend.
"Of course, if they have their ticket, they’ll be there but if they don’t, they’re just hanging out, just to get the spirit of it," said Cindy, co-owner of Amakai Japanese Cuisine. "We’re one of the few that actually sells alcohol, so if you’re over 21, you can hang at our place. We play Taylor Swift music. You can just jam to it, have a little drink, have a little food, and have a little fun!"
Staff at this Pizza My Heart near the stadium say they’ve also been planning for Swift’s fans, but one employee in particular says she’s thrilled about Swift’s arrival in Santa Clara.
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One U.S. city reported its highest growth in hotel bookings for the first time since the start of the pandemic when the singer's tour came to the area.
"Oh my gosh, I’m such a big fan! All of my coworkers are so tired of me talking about it. I talk about it all the time. I don’t have tickets but oh my God, if I could go, I would love to go!" said Alexis Diaz, an employee at Pizza My Heart.
If you're planning to buy merchandise Thursday morning, you should not line up before 8 o’clock. Stadium officials say they won’t let you into the lot. VTA also says if you need information about getting to the concert, go to VTA.org.