Taylor Swift has played to the biggest crowd of her career at Melbourne’s MCG stadium.

The star said on stage that she was “overjoyed” to have been told she had an audience of 96,000 people.

“This is the biggest show that we have done on this tour, or any tour, ever,” Swift said.

Swift reacts to the crowd numbers at her first Eras Tour show in Australia.(ABC News: Kate Ashton)

Friday’s MCG crowd in Melbourne was the biggest of her career so far.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
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A young fan is enthralled during Taylor Swift’s concert.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

Taylor Swift and dancers perform at the MCG on Friday.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

One fan was overwhelmed at seeing her idol.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

Melbourne came alive with Swifties — the name often given to Taylor Swift fans — for the wildly anticipated Eras Tour, which takes fans on a journey through her musical eras.

When Swift first appeared on stage, fans screamed and cried, creating a deafening noise.

Thousands of fans dressed in brightly coloured, sparkly outfits, indicating their favourite Taylor Swift “eras”, and many wore homemade friendship bracelets and exchanged them with strangers.

Swift delivered a marathon performance which she will repeat in Melbourne for another two nights.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

Thousands of fans wore homemade bracelets to the show and exchanged or gifted them to each other. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

Swift performing at the MCG.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

The vibrant set inside the MCG on the first night of the Australian leg of Swift’s Eras Tour.(ABC News: Danielle Bonica)

There were also Taylor Swift fans who didn’t have tickets to the show but still turned up, decked out in creative costumes, to soak up the atmosphere. Others made last-minute efforts to score a ticket.

Many sat on the ground outside the MCG to listen to the music from afar.

Many attendees were locals, but plenty travelled from interstate and internationally to see Swift perform.