Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at Sunday's Kansas City Chiefs game to cheer on star tight end Travis Kelce. Swift, who is currently on her Eras Tour, took a break from her stadium performances to support Kelce and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kelce has been a vocal fan of Swift's music over the years. He has shared videos of himself dancing and singing along to her songs on social media. Kelce and Swift connected earlier this year when she invited him to be a guest at one of her Eras Tour shows. The tight end happily accepted and later praised Swift's live performance.
"She puts on an incredible show. The production that goes into it is next level," Kelce said after attending Swift's concert in Kansas City in April. "She really knows how to connect with the crowd. It was awesome to see her energy and passion for her music and her fans up close."
Swift returned to the fandom by making a surprise appearance at the Chiefs game on Sunday. Photos and video surfaced on social media showing Swift cheering Kelce and the Chiefs from a suite at Arrowhead. She was dressed casually in jeans and a Chiefs jersey to support the home team.
Fans in the stadium spotted Swift and began sharing photos on Twitter and TikTok. Her appearance drew plenty of attention and excitement as Swift is one of the biggest pop stars in the world. However, she seemed focused on enjoying the football game like any other fan. Swift was animatedly cheering and reacting to big plays by Kelce and the Chiefs offense throughout the game.
The Chiefs ended up defeating the Tennessee Titans 20-17 in overtime on Sunday. After the game, Kelce took to Instagram to thank Swift for coming to support. He shared a photo of them together at the game and wrote "What an amazing experience! Thanks for coming to hang with me @taylorswift. 13 was rocking with us."
Swift's appearance at the Chiefs game came on the same weekend that her highly-anticipated concert film "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" premiered in IMAX theaters. The film is a compilation of footage from Swift's massive stadium tour, which has broken records for the highest-grossing tour by a female artist.
"The Eras Tour" movie opened in IMAX theaters nationwide on Friday, November 4th for a limited two-week engagement. It gave Swift's loyal fanbase, known as Swifties, the chance to relive the magic of her concerts on the big screen. The film has received rave reviews from critics and fans alike for its epic production value.
Variety film critic Peter Debruge praised the film, writing "Swift has found a way to translate the spectacle of her stadium shows to the big screen in a way that feels immersive without sacrificing an intimate perspective on her dynamic performances." The Hollywood Reporter called it "a cinematic extravaganza that does justice to Swift’s mammoth tour."
Fandango surveyed over 1,000 Swifties who saw the film in its opening weekend. An overwhelming 97% said they would recommend the movie to other fans. The film broke several box office records in its debut, becoming the highest-grossing live cinema event of all time. It earned over $6.5 million from Thursday to Sunday showings alone.
With the success of the concert film, Swift seems to be further cementing her status as the biggest touring artist in the world right now. Her Eras Tour grossed over $150 million in the first 12 shows alone, making it one of the highest-grossing tours ever. By taking the tour to stadiums and now movie theaters, Swift is finding innovative ways to connect with fans on a massive scale.
Her surprise appearance at Sunday's Chiefs game showed she is also able to enjoy more intimate fandom experiences as well. Swift clearly had a great time supporting Kelce and experiencing an NFL game from the luxury of a suite. It gave her a chance to return some love to one of her famous fans after Kelce cheered her on at one of her concerts earlier this year.
With both her record-breaking stadium tour and concert film receiving widespread acclaim, 2022 has been another banner year for Taylor Swift and her devoted fanbase. Her Eras era has further cemented her status as not only one of music's biggest stars but also its most successful touring artist of this generation