The world's biggest pop star has snubbed New Zealand - so what can fans do?
Thousands of Taylor Swift fans or Swifties throughout Aotearoa were heartbroken when the multi-platinum superstar announced the Eras Tour was coming down under, but not to New Zealand.
Some said the fans should Shake It Off, but the Blank Space on the tour calendar has left many Swifties seeing Red.
Karen O'Leary was not one of those fans - but her mantra of "If it matters to you, it matters to me" compelled Paddy Gower Has Issues's Community Investigator to come up with a solution for the forlorn fandom.
Mega fan Riah Dawon said she "was enraged" when she realised Swift wasn't coming to these shores.
Fans who wanted to get their live fix have had to spend thousands of dollars to head across the Tasman to see the show in Australia.
"I have a cousin who booked flights to Melbourne, but then didn't get tickets to the show," said Tracey Rigby, who spent hours on a computer trying to book tickets.
"They're just going to go and sit outside the stadium."
This kind of dedication inspired O'Leary to reach out to Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner and find out why they missed out on the huge tour.
"When we got wind of the tour we were proactive," Sautner said.
He claimed to have asked former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to tweet Swift as an attempt to convince the singer to add New Zealand to the tour. However, Ardern did not reach out to the 'Love Story' hitmaker via Twitter.
Armed with the knowledge that Swift will not be arriving on our shores any time soon, O'Leary once again has to take things into her own hands... and voice.
Packing out the Vogelmorn Bowling Club in Wellington on a Friday afternoon, O'Leary took to the stage for an epic rendition of 'Shake It Off' for a crowd of passionate Swifties. The show was then closed out by "New Zealand's best DJ", Patrick Gower, who kept the dancefloor pumping with his favourite Swift songs.
After witnessing O'Leary's performance, one fan said Swift "might be too scared to come to New Zealand after this".
Unfortunately, Kiwi Taylor Swift fans are stuck in the hard position of either spending thousands of dollars to see their idol in Australia, or missing out altogether and hoping local New Zealand councils create more incentives for international tours to come.
Online petitions asking Swift to bring The Eras Tour to New Zealand are ongoing.
If you have an issue that Karen can help with, email issues@paddygower.co.nz
