Taylor Swift The Eras Tour: UK ticket fiasco was easy to navigate if you were a loyal fan | Opinion

As a self-proclaimed Taylor Swift super-fan, also known as a Swiftie, I have faced many battles over the years when it comes to securing tickets to see my favourite star in person. Ahead of the Midnights album release date back in October, Swift confirmed UK fans would be able to get their hands on a pre-sale code for her upcoming tour if they followed one of two simple steps - either pre-order the Midnights record, or sign up for a pre-sale code for free by simply typing in your email address.

I did as I was told and pre-ordered the record. I was prepared, willing to fight in ‘The Great War’ for tickets as soon as the tour announcement was made.

I sat anxiously at my desk on July 10 with Ticketmaster open, waiting to secure entry to see my favourite artist - thanks to that Midnight’s album pre-sale code I received just a few days prior. However, fate kicked in and I was unable to get tickets to the first Wembley date in June next year.

I had lost the initial war but not all was lost as Ticketmaster allowed Midnights pre-sale code owners multiple chances to get tickets, all I had to do was try again for a different date. The next day, I secured my tickets in 10 minutes.

The battle had been won, but for some on Twitter, it hadn’t even begun as they were waiting to see if they would receive a code to the Ticketmaster registered fan sale which was due to take place a week on from the Midnights pre-sale.

As soon as the Ticketmaster registered fan sale swung around, it became clear that only the ‘scraps’ were left in terms of tickets. Extortionate fan-packages seemed to be the only option left for some venues, with multiple fans complaining online that they’d missed their chance to see the star.

Some were complaining that due to the cost of the Midnights album, they couldn’t secure a pre-sale code back in October. But if they had read the small print, they would’ve seen that they could’ve signed up for free. It was accessible to everyone.

I was waitlisted for the Ticketmaster registered fan sale, even after devoting much of my time following the star around the UK on previous tours. If I hadn’t secured tickets with the Midnights pre-sale code, I too would now be without tickets.

However, for those of us who’ve followed Swift for a long time, the Midnights pre-sale was a blessing. The tickets were up for grabs - and they went to the loyal fans.