Four months ago, U.S. Bank Stadium was transformed. Glitter flew in the air, fire shot into the sky, and tens of thousands of die-hard Taylor Swift fans (better known as “Swifties”) packed the stands, trading Taylor-themed friendship bracelets up to their elbows. For two nights, every Minneapolitan, whether Swifite or not, was made aware of the unprecedented spectacle of pop perfection known as the Eras Tour.
Now, it’s early October. Football season is officially upon us. The city has shaken off its final remnants of glitter and bracelet beads, and those at U.S. Bank Stadium have fully refocused attention to the main tenant, the Minnesota Vikings. But Swifties are far from finished.
In all likeliness, we will see hundreds (maybe thousands?) of them swarm the stadium and plaza again Sunday, Oct. 8, in the ardent hope that their queen, Miss Swift, will attend the Minnesota Vikings-Kansas City Chiefs game, in support of rumored boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. And it is not a so far-fetched dream.
Photo by Jason Hanna
Swift has attended two consecutive Chiefs games since Sept. 24, when she made her first surprise—and practically Earth-shattering, certainly Internet-breaking—appearance at the Chiefs-Chicago Bears game in Kansas City. The NFL declared in its Instagram bio Monday, the “Chiefs are 2-0 as Swifties.” So, the question everyone’s now asking is this: Will the Chiefs be 3-0 as Swifties? Minneapolis would like to know.
The city is buzzing with theories about the possibility of Swift appearing, from Declan Goff dropping his predictions on SKOR North’s the Purple Daily, to the topic being raised in the Vikings locker room by players themselves. Even Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey is extending his welcome.
Frey expressed to TMZ Sports Wednesday he would love for Swift to make another appearance in his home city, reminiscing fondly on her trip earlier this year (and of course, the economic boost that came along with it.)
Photo by Nikolas Liepins
“If Taylor chooses to come back to Minneapolis [sometimes known as Swiftieapolis] this weekend, we’ll be ready for it. It’s possible she will have to console Travis Kelce after the Vikings beat the Chiefs, but there are plenty of great spots across town for them to go on a date and lift their spirits.”
One of Swift’s most distinctive allures is her continued unpredictability, so in true Taylor fashion, we likely won’t know if she’s arriving until we turn on our TVs Sunday afternoon. But it seems just the mere possibility of her attendance has been enough for the full “Taylor Swift Effect” to kick in, a phrase that has been coined to describe the popstar’s undeniable influence on her fans, the music industry, pop culture, politics, the economy, and, well, everything in our daily lives.
Photo by Richard Deitsch
Not even Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy is immune to it, who has publicly expressed his hopes for Swift to show up Sunday.
“Is she going to come to the game?” Murphy told ESPN, “We’re locked in, but that would be something. I’ve been watching her since I was a kid. That would be cool, for sure.”
Sources say that the Swift-Kelce saga has been a topic of conversation in the Vikings locker room, and Murphy is set on calling it to attention Sunday, detailing his plan to “get Kelce going” with comments about the alleged relationship.
It is clear that even if Swift is not physically at the arena, she will be the undeniable elephant in the room, and this very fact alone might be enough to have Swifties packing the stands. Fans on social media are only confirming this.
One Twitter (“X”) user posted Tuesday: “Convincing my father to take me to the Vikings/Chiefs game because he’s a Vikings fan and I’m a Taylor Swift fan.” Another X user took to the platform to brand the forthcoming game exclusively as the “Taylor Swift game.”
On Reddit, a Minnesota parent posed an important question: “Any other local parents of teen girls who are suddenly Vikings fans because there is a small chance Taylor swift will attend the Vikings game on October 8?”
This newfound fan demographic is immense. Last week, when word was released that Swift may appear at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the Sunday night Chiefs-New York Jets game, ticket prices spiked 35%. And ticket prices for Sunday’s game appear to be on the rise as well, with the lowest prices currently double the average ticket price of the Vikings’ previous home game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Of course, Vikings fans may just be eager to watch their home team take on the reigning Super Bowl champs. But something tells me the Taylor Swift Effect is also implicit.
Will Swift sit in one of the purple stadium seats she not so long ago filled with 60,000 fans? Will we see her and Kelce buy out our favorite Minneapolis restaurant for a private dinner after the game? We might not get these answers until next week, but until then, Minneapolis will continue to speculate, prepare, and extend its welcoming arms to Swift in invitation. No RSVP necessary.
