Want to get Eras Tour tickets in Indianapolis? There's still hope for Taylor Swift fans

On Thursday night, Taylor Swift fans repeatedly clicked the refresh button on Ticketmaster's New Orleans page for the Eras Tour, hoping they would get a spot in the queue for last-minute concert tickets.

The organizers of Swifties Want Tickets sent an alert to their Discord channel when the queue opened.

As fans crossed their fingers and prayed they didn't get kicked out of line, the final passes to the Caesars Superdome were purchased.

The last-minute dispensations happen for every show. The timing of the releases is sporadic, but experts who have been following the tour and surprise drops for more than a year say there are signs when a ticket purge is imminent.

"Some of the markers that we use include the stage set," says Abby, a member of Swifties Want Tickets. The group members withheld their last names because of privacy concerns — and because they want to ensure fans go through their channel instead of directly to them. "The drop is heavily tied to how many additional seats they can fit on the floor and what sections they can open up from obstructed view."

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Swifties Want Tickets could be considered the ticket drop investigators of the Eras Tour. They have sources inside all the stadiums who send photos when the stages are almost completely set up. This allows the venue to reassess if it can fit more chairs on the floor or sell more obstructed view seats.

Although Europe, Asia and Australia had different systems, the ticket drops in Miami and New Orleans this month have been similar to the first year of the Eras Tour when Swift traveled to 20 U.S. cities. And Swifites Want Tickets anticipates the same formula will be used for the final American shows in Indianapolis.

"It usually happens the day before the concert," Abby says. "In Miami, we were getting live updates from a handful of different people who work at Hard Rock Stadium. They sent pictures of how the stage setup was going."

Miami had a few surprise drops. One Wednesday night, one Thursday morning and one before the Friday concert. Swifties Want Tickets sent out social media alerts on X, Instagram and Discord. New Orleans also had surprise drops on Thursday night and Friday before the show.

Trying my luck with last-minute tickets to surprise a fan

After interviewing Swifties Want Tickets members after the Miami shows, I attempted to catch the surprise drop on Thursday ahead of the New Orleans shows. Around 5 p.m. the group sent out a tweet: "We've received details from our sources saying no drop till at least 5 PM CT, but that can change." I set up alerts for their accounts and waited for the tweet saying: "GO." Within seconds, I clicked the Ticketmaster and entered the queue.

I was 457th in line.

The number counted down and, within 10 minutes, I was able to choose from a variety of last-minute tickets. I clicked on the first option I saw without really registering where the seat was for fear of being booted out or losing my spot. The next page showed a $49 ticket in restricted view. I locked in the seat and, with tax, paid $68.

Fast-forward to Friday night's show.

"I tried to get tickets, and it wasn't working," says Tiffany Bell, 28, a New Orleans resident standing outside of the Caesars Superdome in a sparkly silver dress and black boots. "I thought, 'I'm gonna make a trek downtown cause the vibes are just perfect.'"

Perfect Christmas gift for Swifties: Celebrate Taylor Swift's unprecedented Eras Tour with USA TODAY's enchanting book

Bell was talking to WWL TV's reporter Amelia Strahan near the west entrance about 20 minutes before Gracie Abrams took the stage when I asked if she had a ticket. The super fan had never seen the Eras Tour and decided to come to the stadium each night hoping she could nab a last-minute seat from someone venturing inside.

"Would you like to go to the Eras Tour?" I asked her and, after a moment to process the question, she jumped up and down screaming, "Yes."

Even though the ticket I purchased was restricted view, Bell didn't care. Tears filled her eyes. She couldn't believe she was going to see the high-demand, bedazzled show.

"I love (Swift), a woman who speaks her mind and stands up for the people she believes in," Bell says. "We're lucky in this time in history that we have so many famous women willing to stand up for themselves."

Still hope for Indy shows

Depending on the stage setup, it's likely there will be a last-minute drop with thousands of tickets for the various shows inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The first drop could come as early as Wednesday evening. Hopeful fans should follow Swifties Want Tickets. But keep in mind word has gotten out about the group. Its X account has more than 103,000 followers.

More: Your guide to Taylor Swift in Indianapolis for Eras Tour shows

The group's main purpose is to get more fans to the show and to educate Swifties on the ticketing process.

"There's definitely a dynamic where scalpers know more than fans do about how to get tickets because it's their professional full-time job to know everything about how to do it," says Amy, a member of the group. "This is rewarding. People are like, 'Why do you do it for free?' And I'm like, 'because it's the community that I'm in. I love the people I work with and I love being able to give back to other Swifties.'"

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Want to get Eras Tour tickets in Indianapolis? There's still hope