Taylor Swift Sets Acrisure Stadium Record
Taylor Swift broke a Pittsburgh record today, amassing the largest attendance by any event in Acrisure Stadium history. Swift’s second night of performance reached a total attendance of 73,117 according to 100.7 STAR Pittsburgh.
The stadium has hosted large concerts since it first opened in 2001. The first event hosted at Acrisure Stadium was a concert by ‘NSYNC, bringing in a total of 48,188 fans of the boy band. Since then, fans ranging from Kenny Chesney to Beyoncé have made their way to the stadium.
Following the release of her tenth studio album, “Midnights”, Swift embarked on her “The Eras” tour. It quickly became a popular commodity, with 2.5 million tickets sold upon release.
The city was quick to embrace Swift, as Mayor Ed Gainey issued a press release on his social media renaming the city to “Swiftsburgh”. The Steelers also embraced her arrival, as released a video from OTAs of players singing their favorite songs by her on social media.
Previously, the Acrisure Stadium record was held by Garth Brooks during his 2019 stadium tour, amassing 72,887 fans. Upon performing, Brooks had set a record previously set by Swift herself, whose Reputation tour brought 56,445 self-proclaimed Swifties to the stadium.
The college football record was set by the Pitt Panthers football team during the 2022 Backyard Brawl against the West Virginia Mountaineers, drawing a crowd of 70,662 to the North Shore. Pitt Alum Kenny Pickett made an appearance at the game to unveil Pitt’s 2021 ACC Championship banner.
The Steelers record for home attendance sits at 68,574 in a week 15 matchup against the New England Patriots on December 17, 2017. The Steelers went on to lose the game 27-24 after a controversial touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger to Jesse James was overturned.
The record set by Swift is unlikely to be contested by any athletic events in the future, as concerts are able to utilize the field as a seating area.