‘Swifties,’ cars clog downtown streets as concerts get underway at MBS, State Farm Arena

ATLANTA — Taylor Swift fans could hardly contain their excitement as they lined up outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium Friday night for the first of three concerts to be held there over the weekend.

Lines wrapped down past State Farm Arena, and along Northside Drive as excited fans waited for the doors to open.

Channel 2′s Audrey Washington was outside the stadium Friday evening, where not only did fans line the streets, but so did cars.

Northside Drive, Centennial Olympic Drive, and others were saturated with traffic. Swift’s concerts were all sold out, so officials asked that if you didn’t have a ticket, not to go to the area to look for one.

Well before the concert started, Channel 2′s Elizabeth Rawlins found a lot of “Swifties” at the Loews Hotel in midtown.

The hotel became the home base for many Swift fans with a pre-concert party.

“Every single room is sold out Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So we are quite busy,” said Ashley Svarney, who works at the hotel.

Most of their guests are from the Atlanta area, so they have a pre-concert party every night of the tour.

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“We are making this so that if you are staying with us and you’re choosing to stay with us, we want to make this extra special for you,” Svarney said.

Hundreds of fans lined up outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium Thursday morning to get their hands on some Taylor Swift merchandise.

Loews Hotels hosts Taylor Swift pre-concert party for concertgoers The hotel turned into the home base for many Swift fans with a pre-concert party.

“It was definitely worth the 6-hour wait,” one fan said.

“I don’t want to have to worry about merch and like the blue crewneck – everyone wants a blue crewneck – so I just wanted to make sure I got it,” fan Jessica McGrath said.

Many fans who even had tickets for one of her three concerts decided to go out early to grab some swag to ensure they got exactly what they wanted.

“I love it, I’m going to sleep in it tonight,” McGrath said about her new purchase.

Taylor Swift’s concert starts at 6:30 p.m., and Janet Jackson, just down the street at State Farm Arena, show begins at 7:30 p.m.

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