Millions of international Taylor Swift fans have been following her Eras Tour in Australia but two photos on Google maps have left American fans flummoxed.
When US Swifties searched the star’s Aussie concert venues – the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Accor Stadium – the sight that greeted them was totally alien.
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Instead of concrete parking lots, both stadiums are surrounded by parklands and greenery.
The MCG is flanked by Yarra Park, boasting huge grass lawns and tree-lined walkways, while Accor Stadium also has plenty of ovals and trees planted nearby.
“Silly question but, where do people park?” one foreign fan wrote on a TikTok showing an aerial view of the MCG, posted by Visit Melbourne.
“If that was the US the stadium would be surrounded by an asphalt desert of parking lots,” another said.
A third chimed in: “I’m just trying to figure out where all their cars are.”
The answer is that while there are many carparks near the venues, a huge portion of Aussie Swifties rely on public transport to get to and from concerts.
Melbourne and Sydney both boast large and well-connected public transport systems consisting of buses, trains and tram or light rail services.
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Some are even visible in the satellite images of the venues on Google maps, with multiple train tracks visible right next to the MCG.
“People asking how people got there while there’s like 12 train lines straddling the stadium with trains moving through it,” one Aussie quipped on TikTok.
There’s an underground train station just a five minute walk from Accor Stadium as well, making it incredibly easy for concertgoers to get to and from the venue without a car.
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Research shows that cars still dominate the American commute, with over 70 per cent of Americans using a car to get to and from work while just 13 per cent take public transport.
Not all US cities have reliable or widespread public transport networks, so it’s likely that a similar number of Americans drive to and from concerts.
As such, most stadiums in the US are surrounded by vast parking lots to accommodate all the vehicles – but not in Australia.
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New research from Roy Morgan shows that almost 12 million Aussies aged 14 or older used public transport at least once during the March quarter of 2023; that’s over 56 per cent.
Though public transport use declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Aussies still rely on buses, trains, trams and light rail to get to and from big events where traffic and parking can get tricky.
A whopping 288,000 fans turned out to see Swift perform in Melbourne over three nights last weekend and roads would have been hell if every single one drove.
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Instead many took public transport and enjoyed catching up with other Swifties in the park before the US superstar took the stage for three of the “biggest shows I’ve ever played on tour.”
