Taylor Swift fans were forced to evacuate her gig after a lightning strike hit the arena.
The chart-topping pop star was set to take to the stage at the Accor Stadium in Sydney on Friday (February 23) as part of her Eras tour. However, the stadium was completely evacuated because of wild weather.
Footage on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the chaos taking place inside the 83,500-seat stadium. Via a loudspeaker, a man could be heard telling fans that lightning had struck 10kms away.
READ MORE: ‘I’m a country star – fans beg to pick me up and cuddle me in bizarre meet and greets’
READ MORE: Click for more brilliant Daily Star TV stories
As a result, the concert-goers needed to evacuate. The people in the audience were then seen moving to areas of the stadium that were under a cover.
(Image: Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
The sold out gig, which was Taylor’s first Sydney show, was due to kick off at 6.20pm local time, with gates expected to open at 4.30pm. But the show start time was delayed.
Organisers announced in a statement: “Stay undercover until further notice and follow venue screens and staff instructions. Stay safe and remember to be kind to those around you.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The stadium had previously announced the gig would go ahead come “rain or shine.” This was unless the severe weather threatened concert-goers’ safety.
Meanwhile the country’s met office predicted “possibly severe” thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and evening on Friday (February 23). What’s more, it’s been reported emergency services warned fans to be careful while travelling.
Taylor is expected to perform at the Accor Stadium all weekend until Monday (February 26). She will then jet off to Singapore to perform for her fans over there.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
After a two month break, Taylor will be back on stage – kicking off the European leg of the Eras Tour in May. And then in the autumn, Taylor will be back performing in North America.
It comes after a Taylor Swift fan tragically died moments before they were due to see the Shake It Off singer take to the stage. On Thursday February 15, 16-year-old Mieka Pokarier was killed while she and her family were driving to watch the Eras Tour concert in the heart of Melbourne, Australia, according to TMZ.
The teenager, her mother and sister were reportedly driving in an SUV from the Gold Coast to the hitmaker’s show more than 1,700 miles away when they collided with a semi-truck. The outlet revealed Mieka and her 10-year-old sister Freya were severely injured while their mother Kim suffered some minor injuries. Emergency Service units raced to the incident to tend to their injuries but Mieka was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene.
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
