Taylor Swift is something of a phenomenon in the music world, and these days when she isn’t making records she’s probably breaking them. Chalk up another victory for Swiftie Nation, which accomplished something this past weekend that hadn’t been seen since the Bay Area last hosted the Super Bowl.
A record number of people rode Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority light rail trains to Levi’s Stadium and Swift’s “Eras Tour” concert Friday night, VTA officials said.
An estimated 23,400 boardings occurred to and from the concert, more than double the 10,000 boardings when Levi’s Stadium played host to Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
The previous record was about 15,000 boardings during NHL Winter Classic in 2015.
The record traffic for Friday’s concert by Swift was not a surprise to the transit authority. Swift’s concerts around the country have drawn similar if not larger crowds onto transit.
The transit authority added 30 percent more capacity for Swift’s concert Friday and the same amount was added for Swift’s Saturday event.
The ridership bump couldn’t come at a better time for the VTA as it and other regional transit districts have struggled to draw passengers back on board following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has crimped budgets and sent politicians scrambling for solutions to avoid service cuts.
Swift’s concerts in Santa Clara celebrated her 17-year career and 10 albums. Swift sang from nine of those albums.