40,000 Taylor Swift fans got themselves a free Eras Tour show in Munich as ‘Taylor-gating’ hit a new level

Thousands of people who couldn’t score tickets to a Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour show in Munich enjoyed the concert from a hill nearby.

German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that local police had estimated that around 40,000 people gathered on the Olympic Hill overlooking Munich’s Olympiastadion on Saturday.

Inside the stadium, Swift performed her set to 74,000 fans.

Fans on the Olympic Hill waiting for the concert to begin. Felix Hörhager/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

While speaking to the crowd at the beginning of the concert, the Grammy-winning artist acknowledged the extra attendees outside the stadium.

“We’ve got people in a park outside the stadium, thousands of people listening from out there,” Swift said, per footage circulating on X.

“I just feel so incredibly welcome,” she added.

The phenomenon of gathering outside Swift’s concerts, known as “Taylor-gating,” emerged soon after the star began touring with her blockbuster Eras Tour in the US last year.

Fans assemble in streets, parks, and parking lots near concert venues to sing along and dance to their favorite song blasting from the stadium speakers.

While some cities have discouraged fans from loitering outside venues without tickets, LBC reported that toilets and drinks stations were set up in the park on the hill ahead of the Munich show.

A clip shared on social media showed the hills outside the stadium teeming with people before the stadium had filled.

According to the Olympiapark website, the Olympic Hill offers a “magnificent view of the Olympic Park” and has “been a popular destination for enjoying free open-air concerts” for decades.

It added that the hill can be used by “all those who want to listen to the world stars of rock and pop for free from their picnic blanket.”

A representative for the show’s venue did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was sent outside regular hours.