Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Finally Arrives at SoFi Stadium

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The long-awaited Taylor Swift mini-residency at SoFi Stadium will finally begin Thursday, with thousands of fans descending on Inglewood and transit officials urging people to take public transportation to avoid traffic jams and parking hassles.

Before the Eras Tour shows even began, a pre-event merchandise sale attracted thousands of fans to the stadium on Wednesday. Swifties braved an hourslong wait for the chance to buy T-shirts, sweatshirts and other tour memorabilia. There will be another merchandise sale from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Lake Park adjacent to SoFi Stadium. Sunday is an off day in Swift's six-night schedule at SoFi.

The Eras Tour at SoFi officially begins Thursday night, with additional performances set for Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Tickets were highly coveted, and stadium officials reminded the public that people who don't have tickets shouldn't bother coming to the venue, thinking they can listen to the music by standing nearby or just hoping to soak up the atmosphere.

According to the stadium's website, nobody will be permitted to remain in the parking lots or outside the stadium once the show has started, and only ticketed guests will be given access to the venue.

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On-site parking is very limited, and concert-goers are urged to purchase spots in advance, although most may be already sold out.

Metro officials are urging Swift fans to take mass transit to the concerts to avoid the parking hassle. Additional bus and train service is being offered on show nights to help people get to and from the stadium.

Fans can take the recently opened Metro K Line to the Downtown Inglewood Station and ride a free shuttle bus to SoFi. The shuttle will run from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. before each show, then 90 minutes after the concert ends. Riders can take the E (Expo) Line to the Expo/Crenshaw Station then transfer to the K Line.

Fans coming from the South Bay or other locations can take the C (Green) Line to the Hawthorne/Lennox Station, where a free shuttle will also be provided during the same hours.

For out-of-town fans who may be staying at hotels near Los Angeles International Airport, the Metro 117 bus is accessible from multiple stops on Century Boulevard and can be ridden to the Century/Yukon station adjacent to the stadium. The bus will run until 90 minutes after the concert.

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Metro plans to have agency staffers, ambassadors and additional security personnel present at multiple stations to help Swift fans who may be unfamiliar with the train system. Additional staffing will be available at the Expo/Crenshaw Station (for the E and K lines), the K Line Downtown Inglewood Station, the C Line Norwalk and Hawthorne/Lennox stations, and the Seventh/Metro Center Station downtown, which serves the A (Blue), B (Red), D (Purple) and E lines.

Eds: Metro officials will be available for interviews from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at the Expo/Crenshaw K Line Station, where it intersects with the E (Expo) Line. Media interested in live shots on other dates can contact Tracy Smith with Metro at smitht9@metro.net or 213-660-5087.