Welcome to New Orleans!
On Wednesday, the Caesars Superdome was fitted with a 140-foot-long friendship bracelet in honor of Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour stop in Louisiana, which kicks off on Friday.
Workers were spotted using forklifts to hang the inflatable banners, which were made to look like a mix of alphabet beads and colorful pony beads.
The double-stranded bracelets — hung on the stadium’s facade — spelled out “Taylor Swift The Eras Tour.”
Taylor Swift got a warm welcome to New Orleans.Getty Images
Massive, inflatable friendship bracelets were hung outside the Caesars Superdome ahead of her Eras Tour stop in Louisiana.X/@CaesarsDome
The massive bracelets paid tribute to the Swiftie tradition of passing around homemade, beaded friendship bracelets — which stemmed from a lyric in Swift’s song, “You’re On Your Own Kid.”
Abby Jones, a sales and marketing director, concocted the idea just one month before Swift, 34, arrived in the Big Easy.
After getting approval from the pop star’s team, Jones got in touch with Miami-based artist Shawn Kolodny, who is known for his large-scale inflatable designs.
The banner spans 140 feet.Instagram/@saints
The inflatable was created by a Miami-based artist.Instagram/@saints
Each “bead” is made of nylon and is about seven feet tall, according to Nola.com.
“It’s like a giant friendship bracelet bouncy house,” Kolodny told the outlet.
Shortly after the banners were hung, the New Orleans Saints — who play in the Superdome — shared videos of the installment on Instagram.
“A welcome for Taylor ,” they wrote.
Each bead is made of nylon and is seven feet tall.Instagram/@saints
Trading friendship bracelets is an Eras Tour tradition amongst Swifties.Getty Images
Swift’s record-breaking tour began in March 2023, a few months after the release of her album “Midnights.”
On the record’s fifth track — which is typically the singer’s most personal song — she sings, “Everything you lose is a step you take / So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.”
Her fans took the lyrics literally and started making — and trading — friendship bracelets spelling out their favorite songs, albums and lyrics, causing as much as a 500% increase in sales at craft stores.
The fan project quickly took on a life of its own and became synonymous with the “Fortnight” singer’s tour.
The fan project took inspiration from Swift’s song, “You’re On Your Own Kid.”Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
The pop star’s three-night stop in New Orleans kicks off on Friday.MEGA
Swift herself even leaned into the fun, often wearing elevated versions of her fans’ homemade bracelets.
In fact, for the holidays last year, her boyfriend Travis Kelcegifted the Grammy winner a gold friendship bracelet that spelled out “TNT” — a play on their initials.
The sparkling momento featured more than 4 carats of diamonds and retailed for over $6,000.
Swift has also joined in on the friendship bracelet trend.taylorswift/YouTube
Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce gifted her a diamond “TNT” friendship bracelet last Christmas.Wove Made Inc
Kelce also purchased his own matching version of the bracelet, which the jeweler acknowledged felt like a “full circle” moment given that the NFL star famously tried to woo Swift with a friendship bracelet before they began dating.
In July 2023, Kelce admitted he attempted to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it before one of her shows in Kansas City.
Although he never got the chance to give her the bracelet, she later found out about his plans and decided to give him another chance.