Wests Illawarra staff members Riley and Isaac preparing for Taylor Swift Week at the club. Photo: Supplied.
For those who spent hours refreshing their computer screens in the hopes of snagging Taylor Swift concert tickets last year but missed out, all is not lost.
Wests Illawarra is gearing up to host Taylor Swift Week from 19 February, a special week-long event tailored to fans who won’t be able to catch the pop sensation live in concert.
Swift is set to begin her Australian The Eras Tour on 16 February, with four shows from 23-26 February in Sydney.
The excitement for Swift’s tour is palpable, but for those unable to secure tickets, the Unanderra club has curated a week-long celebration dedicated to the pop princess.
Wests Illawarra senior marketing coordinator Louise Padmore said the club would be hosting everything from paint and sip to trivia.
“Obviously, she’s a huge artist,” Louise said.
“We’ve got a lot of Taylor Swift fans in the club, and we just decided because it was so hard to get tickets and she was only doing shows in two cities, we thought why not put on a theme for our general trivia and general bingo events, which are free events.”
She said the idea was inspired by a staff member who was a “dedicated Swiftie”.
“We wanted to do it for all the people that missed out on getting tickets, so they can still be a part of something,” she said.
“We’re going to be celebrating Taylor all week.”
The festivities will include a trivia night with Swift-focused questions, DJ Bingo with her chart-topping hits and best dressed prizes, and the popular paint and sip sessions run by Expressive Art.
Taylor Swift Paint and Sip attendees will unleash their creativity with a Taylor-inspired painting while sipping on a drink, with overwhelming demand prompting a second session to be added.
People are also encouraged to dress up for DJ Bingo, paying homage to the different eras of Swift’s career highlighted by her distinct fashion styles – and a nod to the title of her tour.
“There’ll be a lot of red lips walking through the club,” she said, laughing.
“After DJ Bingo, at 7 pm there’s free entertainment so you can stay for a meal and the live entertainment will be performing Taylor Swift songs as well.”
Louise said the inclusive nature of the celebration meant it was something kids could enjoy too.
She said at a time when the cost of living was high and people were doing it tough, it was “just a nice story to tell, to celebrate an amazing artist and to do something slightly different”.
“With her songs, she obviously sings about experiences from her own life, and I think people can really relate to what she’s gone through,” she said.
“There’s just some magic there. She’s just an incredible songwriter.”
Louise said Swift’s appeal was also in showing resilience and having an empowering message through her music.
“In many ways, her songs represent strength and growth,” she said.
“She’s been through a lot and people can understand being bullied, being targeted, and the fact that she can come back stronger than ever having gone through hard times just resonates with people that are going through hard times and have bounced back.”
As the anticipation for Taylor Swift Week builds, Wests Illawarra is working on creating a Taylor Swift-themed cocktail to add an extra dash of excitement to the festivities.
Learn more about the Taylor Swift Week events from 19 February or book a paint and sip session.
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