Taylor Swift just wants to get through the main gate into Arrowhead Stadium.
Ahead of Thursday's NFL opener, Chiefs team president Mark Donovan revealed how the club has prepared to welcome the 14-time Grammy Award winner, who became an internet sensation when she attended her first game at Arrowhead Stadium last September, and for her second year as a part of Chiefs Kingdom.
Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce began dating last summer and she attended most of his games, including the Chiefs' Super Bowl win over the 49ers in February.
“We're ready to welcome her and of course welcome her with open arms,” Donovan said of Swift. Interview with Front Office Sports.
Swift, 34, plans to watch the AFC Championship rematch between the Chiefs and Ravens on Thursday night in Kansas City. The Athletic reported..
Donovan recalled having multiple discussions with Kelce last season to plan Swift's arrival, both to ensure her safety and to manage the crowd's reaction.
He explained that Kelce was unconcerned about Swift coming to support the team, and that the All-Pro emphasized that Swift wanted to enter the stadium through the front doors like other Chiefs fans.
“We're welcoming her into Chiefs kingdom. Taylor has a lot to offer right now and when you look at the makeup of her fan base, it's a pretty valuable target demographic,” Donovan said.
“And we looked at ways to pay respect. The first game Taylor came to, I had a great conversation with Travis. [against the Bears on Sept. 24].
“It was before the game. I grabbed Travis after practice and said, 'Hey, I heard through the grapevine that Taylor is coming to the game.'”
“He said, 'Yes, she wants to come to the game and it's up to her. I'm just going to focus on the game.'
“And I thought, 'OK, fine. Well, it's Taylor Swift. So I need to plan for this and make sure I have a plan for her. I'm going to have her through a certain entrance, I'm going to make sure she's safe and I'm going to manage the crowd's reaction.
“Travis's response was, 'She wants to come as a fan. She doesn't want any of this. Listen to her, I'm playing football.'”
“And I thought, 'Okay, but she can't come in through the front gate. That won't work,'” Donovan said with a laugh.
After some back and forth between the two, Donovan explained the “complicated plan” that the Chiefs' security guards and Swifts' security guards had come up with.
“Her security team came the day before and we got her in and out just fine, everything was great.
“So, on the day of the match [Sept. 24] The head of security called me and said, “Taylor doesn't like this plan. She's going through the main gate.”
“And so she did. She brought her buddies, who put on their hats and COVID masks and sunglasses, and they all gathered at the main gate.
“Because that's what he wants. She wants to be a fan. This is her time off. She wants to be there to support Travis. And we're going to create that opportunity and we're going to provide that opportunity.”
Donovan went on to explain that the Chiefs aren't trying to cash in on the Taylor Swift effect.
“That's another conversation we've had with Travis. We've done our best to respect their relationship, so if you watch every game that we broadcast every week, you'll know they're looking out for Taylor.”
“We made a conscious decision to respect our relationship. It's no different than any other relationship with any other player. The fact that it was a conscious decision [at Arrowhead] They didn't play any Taylor Swift songs during the game, it was a sign of respect.
“We're not trying to take advantage of it. We try to celebrate, but we're not trying to overdo it or make her show up after every touchdown or anything like that. She's never been on our big board. We had a day where we had six or seven celebrities in the stadium. We put them on the big board before the game… When we put them on the big board, the fans react.
“Then I went to Travis and I thought, ‘We’re [showed all these celebrities on the big board] Taylor is watching it in the suite, but he doesn't let her see.
“He said, 'Let's just carry on doing things the way we've always done them.'”
In a separate interview with the “Today” show, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said he wasn't sure where Swift would sit for the season opener.
“No, it's always a bit of a surprise, but I'm sure the TV cameras will find her.” He said this ahead of Thursday's game.
Swift watched the majority of Kelce's games last season, including all of the team's playoff games, which culminated in a Super Bowl win in Las Vegas.
Chiefs will play three home games before the Swifts' Era tour resumes in October.
If the Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl in search of a third straight championship, Swift, whose tour ends in December, could be in attendance.
Super Bowl 2025 will be held in New Orleans and air on Fox on February 9th.
