The Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana is one of the most iconic and well-known stadiums in the United States. With a capacity of over 70,000 seats, it is a hugely popular venue for major concerts, sporting events, and more. Most recently, global superstar Taylor Swift announced that she will be performing at the Superdome in 2023 as part of her new tour supporting her latest record-breaking album Midnights. Naturally, Swift fans want to know – just how many seats are there inside the Superdome for her highly anticipated concert? Let’s take a closer look at the stadium’s capacity and layout to get an idea of what kind of crowd Swift can expect when she takes the stage.
Brief Background on the Superdome
First, some quick facts about the Superdome itself. The stadium first opened in 1975 and has been the long-time home arena of the New Orleans Saints NFL football team. In addition to sports, it has hosted major events like Super Bowls, the Sugar Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, and large concerts by acts like The Rolling Stones, U2, and Beyoncé.
After sustaining damage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Superdome underwent extensive renovations and reopened fully in 2013. The $336 million renovation project not only repaired the hurricane damage, but upgraded the facilities throughout to make it a state-of-the-art event destination. This included improvements like more comfortable seating, new club spaces, upgraded concession areas, and more.
The versatility and capacity of the Superdome make it a popular stadium for the biggest touring acts like Swift. Let’s look at the breakdown of the seating sections and capacity numbers.
Seating Sections and Capacities
The Superdome consists of four main seating levels:
The Lower Bowl
This is the lowest seating level and the one closest to the stage/field. It contains 34,500 permanent seats spread across the sideline sections, end zone sections, and club/suite sections. For concerts, the capacity of the lower bowl can be expanded by adding floor seating, which can hold around 3,500 temporary seats.
The Terrace Level
The mid-level terrace sections contain 25,500 permanent seats.
The Upper Bowl
The upper bowl has 10,000 permanent seats.
Suites and Club Seats
There are 152 luxury suites and 7,000 club seats throughout the stadium. These premium tickets offer amenities like private areas, lounges, upgraded food and drinks, etc.
Adding up the permanent seating sections gives us a baseline capacity of around 70,000 seats. By utilizing floor seating and standing room areas, the Superdome can hold over 75,000 attendees for especially large concerts and events.
To visualize the breakdown, here is a table summarizing the seating capacities:
Seating Section | Capacity |
Lower Bowl | 34,500 seats |
Terrace Level | 25,500 seats |
Upper Bowl | 10,000 seats |
Suites and Club Seats | 7,000 seats |
Total Permanent Seating | 77,000 seats |
This breakdown of the areas and capacities gives an idea of just how big the Superdome is. When you picture 77,000+ screaming Taylor Swift fans packed into the stadium, it’s sure to be an incredible show.
Configuring the Superdome for Taylor Swift’s Show
So we know the Superdome’s overall capacity – but how might the stadium be configured for Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert specifically?
Event organizers will work with Swift’s team to map out the stage, audience areas, and any special effects or props needed to bring her vision to life. Photos and videos from her recent Eras Tour show elaborate productions with multiple stage sections and walkways that get Swift closer to fans all around the stadium.
Based on typical concert setups in stadiums like the Superdome, Swift’s show will likely utilize:
– The main stage spanning the width of the arena floor. This is where Swift will perform for a majority of the show.
– A front floor seating section fanning out from the stage. These seats often go to VIP ticket holders.
– General admission floor seats behind the VIP section. Fans can get closer to the stage from here.
– Blocked off aisles and passages for Swift and dancers to move between the main stage and satellite stages.
– One or more satellite stages and ramps stretching out into the lower bowl seating areas. Swift uses these to perform songs acoustically and get closer to fans in seats far from the main stage.
– Massive video walls, screens, and displays throughout the arena to project visuals, cues, and close-ups of the performers.
– Decorations like larger-than-life props, signage, and lighting effects tailored specifically to the Eras Tour.
The crew will work tirelessly leading up to showtime to bring this grand vision to the expansive Superdome space.
How Many Seats Will Be Available for Taylor Swift’s Concert?
So what does this all mean for Swift fans hoping to score the coveted tickets?
With the stage, catwalks, barricades, and production equipment taking up space on the arena floor, the Superdome won’t be able to utilize every single one of its 70,000+ seats for the Swift show.
However, thanks to its massive size, there will still be tens of thousands of seats available:
– The lower bowl behind the floor seating can be filled to capacity – around 34,500 seats.
– The upper levels provide another 35,500 permanent seats in the terrace and upper decks.
– That’s already around 70,000 seats, without even counting floor seats or standing room only tickets.
It’s reasonable to estimate there will be **65,000-70,000 seats available** for Taylor Swift’s concert in the Superdome.
This will be one of the larger crowds Swift has performed for from her Eras tour, which has averaged around 45,000-50,000 fans per show in smaller NFL and college football stadiums.
So the Superdome offers the ability to sell 15,000+ more seats, helping more Swifties from the New Orleans area and beyond get the chance to see their idol live.
Impact on New Orleans and Taylor Swift’s Tour
Such a large show at the Superdome will be a major event for New Orleans. With 70,000 Taylor Swift fans potentially flooding the city for the concert weekend, it’s sure to deliver a boost to local tourism, hotels, restaurants, and businesses.
There’s also buzz that Swift may use her time in New Orleans to film part of an upcoming music video there. Her previous two albums had music videos set in coastal locales – “willow” in Maine and “cardigan” in Rhode Island. Perhaps the “Anti-Hero” singer will jet down south for a Bayou backdrop this era.
Regardless, Swift’s Superdome stop looks to be a massive spectacle within her already record-breaking Eras Tour. After conquering stadiums in the US, it’s rumored she may take the tour to international stadiums in 2023.
But first she’ll make her mark on New Orleans. Swift is undoubtedly the kind of larger-than-life artist with the loyal fanbase to help fill all 70,000+ of the Superdome’s seats. It’s sure to be remembered as one of the most energetic, gleeful nights for concertgoers in the stadium’s history.
Conclusion
In summary, the vast Superdome stadium offers Taylor Swift the opportunity to perform for over 70,000 ecstatic listeners when she visits New Orleans. The specific setup and number of seats available will depend on the production and stage elements needed for Swift’s visually stunning Eras Tour. But with at least 65,000-70,000 spots for fans, it promises to be a monumental and unforgettable show in the singer’s career. The Swifties are ready to fill the Superdome with dazzling lights, pumped up beats, and screaming every word to their idol’s hits.