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Taylor Swift has so far only announced that she’s bringing her acclaimed Eras Tour to cities in the United States.
So mega-fans in the Philippines took it upon themselves to host their own version of the tour over the weekend, packing a mall in metro Manila for a concert that matched much of the original.
The event also served as a live petition to urge Swift to visit Manila on tour, oila, orrganizers said.
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Mac Coronel, a drag performer who also goes by “Taylor Sheesh,” stood in for Swift at the show, dancing and lip syncing along to Swift’s hits for nearly an hour and a half with nine costume changes.
The show matched many of the details on Swift’s tour, down to the costumes, digital backdrops, choreography, and effects. It featured a crew of backup dancers and a confetti cannon at the end of the set.
Over 30 Swifties that are part of a fan group in the Philippines organized “The Eras Festival” as a free event at the TriNoma Activity Center in Quezon City, just outside Manila. In addition to the concert, it also included shop, booths, and merchandise that fans could purchase.
The group has hosted past fan gatherings around Manila to celebrate Swift.
Step Back
No international dates have been announced for The Eras Tour, so Filipino Swifties don’t know if Swift will make it to Manila for an official show.
It’s a feeling they know all too well. Swift didn’t play a show in the Philippines on either of her last two tours, and hasn’t toured in the country since 2014, when she played a venue just outside Manila.
When she announced her current tour in November, Swift said she hoped to announce international dates “as soon as we can.”
The fans’ message to Swift after Sunday’s event: “We know that The Eras Tour has a big production, and our country’s venue availability is a bit of a challenge, but we are still hoping for your kind consideration,” organizers told Semafor.
“You can casually show up here with just you and your guitar and we will still give you a decade’s worth of energy, and make sure to make each and every second of your stay worth it.’”
Notable
- With no international tour dates announced, some non-U.S. Swifties have flown to the country to see a show. And some American Beyoncé fans are doing the opposite, since tickets to the Renaissance World Tour are generally cheaper and more available overseas.
- The Philippines is known for the “religious-like reverence” of its pop music fandoms that help define the entertainment industry there, Nylon Manila wrote. But groups of fans have also banded together to give back through social, political, and environmental causes.