Why my family and I decided to book tickets for Taylor Swift’s concert in Mexico City

We couldn’t stand it any longer. We had been waiting for months, constantly refreshing our feeds to see when she was arriving on our shores. 

Watching the U.S. leg of the tour as it kicked off in March took FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) to a whole new level.

Finally, Max, my husband, buckled: ‘I can’t wait until they release the UK dates. You know what a scramble that’s going to be. I have to know we can go. 

‘We have to find out which dates on the U.S. tour aren’t sold out yet and then we just use my air miles to get us there.’

Which is how, last month, I found myself, in a moment of madness, paying four-figure prices for tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour… 5,500 miles away in Mexico City. 

Not for us the jostling for Taylor’s London or Edinburgh dates, the desperate attempts to push our way to the front by registering in the Midnights UK pre-sale promotion. We didn’t just jump a queue — we jumped an ocean.

By ‘we’ I mean Max and my 15-year-old daughter Phoebe. They are the diehard Swifties, though Max prefers to brand himself a #ProudTayTayDad, so the rest of us (me and our two sons, who couldn’t be more roll-eye-emoji about all this if they tried) are staying behind.

Max travels a huge amount for work, so he racks up the Avios points you get with certain airlines that can then be swapped for free flights. 

Which is lucky, because for him and Phoebe to travel to Mexico City in Premium Economy, it’s taking a cool 300,000 air miles’ worth of points. 

They’re flying out on a Thursday and back on a Monday, 11 hours each way, and are going to see Taylor not once but twice, because once you’re there, why not? 

‘In for a penny, in for four thousand quid,’ says Max through gritted teeth. That’s how much two tickets for two shows have cost. It’s an eye-watering sum but Phoebe’s excitement is worth every penny.

‘This way we can theme our dressing-up,’ she says gleefully. ‘For the first night we’re Tayloring ourselves 1989-style and for the second, we’re just going to go wild with glitter, sparkle and colour — and see what takes our fancy among the merchandise.’ 

Anna Lydford said she couldn’t wait for Taylor Swift’s UK tour (File photo: Taylor Swift in Kansas City, Missouri) 

1989 is, of course, the year of Taylor’s birth and, in this context, refers to the iconic studio album of 2014, when she signalled her re-birth from country singer to pop legend.

Unlike most Swiftie Dads, who come to her music through their daughters, Max was a fan already. Indeed, he was the one who introduced Phoebe to Taylor’s hits. 

Every time he drove her to school, sports, singing classes, he’d pump up the volume on the car stereo. 

But Phoebe was the one who took it to the next level, trawling through the entire discography and bringing Max with her into every glittery corner of the Swift oeuvre.

This week the countdown began in earnest. While those with tickets for the UK dates will have to wait almost a year, Phoebe and Max will be seeing their idol in less than six weeks. I can’t wait for the footage of them singing along in Mexico City on August 24.

Now I just have to find them a hotel…