Taylor Swift fans navigate LA traffic, train connections, crowds to first concert at SoFi

Thousands of Taylor Swift fans made their way to the first of six concerts at SoFi Stadium on Thursday, while managing to “shake it off” when facing snarled traffic on the 405, 110 and 105 freeways, long waits for a damaged rail line and increased police presence, after a killing occurred on a nearby train line the night before.

While some Swifties rode the LA Metro trains that had capacity increased by 33% for the concert and early merchandising blitz, many drove or took Uber and Lyft. A flood of calls into the Metro information line crashed it for two hours, said Tracy Smith, Metro spokesperson and many were asking for directions at the information booth at Union Station.

Those taking the A Line waited at least 20 minutes for a train, due to damaged overhead electrical lines in east Pasadena. Both the LAPD and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department placed extra patrols on trains after a man was killed Wednesday night on the to the K (Crenshaw) Line, one station away from the Hawthorne/Lennox Station that ran one of two shuttle buses that dropped off fans at the stadium.

Metro rail lines A, B, D, E, C and K will operate late, until 2 a.m. to accommodate Swifties after the concerts, which run Aug. 3, 4, 5 and 7, 8, 9. Since no train actually stops at SoFi, two free shuttles took passengers directly to the concert venue from a train station. One ran from the K (Crenshaw) Line’s Downtown Inglewood Station. The other ran from the C Line’s Hawthorne/Lennox Station. The shuttles will run 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. before each show, and for 90 minutes after the concerts.

But the two shuttles were not full Thursday and the line to get on board the K Line at the Downtown Inglewood Station was nearly empty around 5 p.m., as extra accommodations went unneeded.

Rows of security tape forming snaking lines before the shuttles became merely decorative as buses came and went with space inside to spare. A pop-up stand at one station selling TAP cards — in anticipation that there may be long lines at its three vending machines — struggled to get any traffic.

Those who did take public transit often rode early and were prepared in advance.

Viridiana Gonzalez and Victoria Kravitz knew they wanted the peace of mind of riding Metro. The pair, who have been friends and Swift fans since high school, left from Arcadia on the A Line, wanting to avoid the frustrations that might come from riding with their parents.

Kravitz said the more than two-hour public transit commute wasn’t a concern, and well worth it to escape the anxiety of traffic, parking, or other logistics.

“We get to get there early and enjoy the atmosphere and experience,” she said. “That’s better than stressing with my parents for two hours.”

Many concert-goers were being dropped off in the ride-hailing lot at SoFi. Those who beat the crowds and got there early seemed to fare better.

Celine Castaneda took a Lyft from Long Beach to SoFi that took only 40 minutes and cost her $45. She arrived shortly before 11 a.m.

“I may carpool after the concert with some of the people I met,” she said.

Gail Gallaher of Pasadena took the A Line train from the Memorial Park Station at around 2:30 p.m after waiting more than 20 minutes.

She planned on meeting her husband at the stadium, after he parks their car at a school that rented out parking spaces. The couple had reserved a space there ahead of time.

While the train connections were a bit like alphabet soup, she is a veteran Metro user and felt confident she could find her way. “I am taking the A Line,” she said, pausing for several seconds, “to the God I don’t even know I think the Expo Line, then to the K Line, then to the shuttle that will get us to SoFi.”

For many Swifties, the concert is just part of the night out. And that’s what they say makes her concerts different. Some call it a spiritual experience.

“I think it will be fun,” Gallaher said before she boarded her first train. “Once I get closer to the concert I am going to see other people there and that will be fun.”

Maria Gonzalez, 31, took a bus from Tijuana to Union Station on Thursday, the first leg on her journey to her first-ever Taylor Swift concert.

She was on her phone hailing an Uber, leaning against the Metro information booth at the downtown train hub in the early afternoon.

“I am very excited. I don’t believe this moment is happening because it is here already,” she said. She bought the tickets as part of the original sale by Ticketmaster, not through a re-sale, she said. They cost about $150 each.

Her husband, Juan Morales, 34, whom his wife said was not a big Swift fan, said he was curious to learn first-hand what has become an American phenomenon.

“I want to try to understand the culture, all the fashion,” said Morales. “I want to see the outfits of the other girls and the people of all ages who are coming to this concert. I’m also looking forward to all the lights and sounds.”

The two carted a small suitcase on wheels out to the curb near Alameda Street. It contained Gonzalez’s outfit: a sparkly, green top that mimics what Swift sometimes wears, she said.

When asked if the cost of the tickets, the nearly 4-hour bus ride from Mexico and the Uber to the stadium is worth it, she responded without hesitation:

“It is worth every cent,” she said. The two then quickly got into a silver Toyota Uber as the driver carefully stowed her rolling case in the trunk, then sped off.

In my seat! Section 531! Ready for @gracieabrams, @HAIMtheband and of course @taylorswift13 pic.twitter.com/kOWzHrtxsS

— Christina Merino (@christinam_love) August 4, 2023