Kansas City ride services are booked solid by Taylor Swift fans in need of a ‘Getaway Car’
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Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Kansas City
Taylor Swift brings her Eras Tour to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for July 7-8. From “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)“ to fan outfits and surprise songs, we’ve got you covered.
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Editor’s Note: Want to save a piece of the Eras Tour? Sign up here to have a special-edition digital Kansas City Star front page from Taylor Swift’s Kansas City concerts sent directly to your inbox.
Swifties are taking over Kansas City’s private car services, booking up rides to and from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the highly anticipated Eras Tour shows on Friday and Saturday.
With more than 100,000 fans attending the concerts this weekend, finding a ride to the concert could be tough for those who haven’t already made arrangements.
Kansas City Car Service, which offers black car and taxi service throughout the metro, has been booked solid for weeks, according to Regional Vice President Terry O’Toole.
“It’s a great weekend for revenue, and it’s a weekend to showcase Kansas City,” O’Toole told The Star. “We’re busier for this than we are for a Chiefs playoff game.”
The Kansas City Car Service black car division, which is made up of more than 100 SUVs, sedans and some party buses sold out about two weeks ago, O’Toole said. The company also offers taxi service through its Ztrip cars, many of which are already reserved for the weekend. To accommodate the demand, O’Toole said the company will send out 100 cars that people can hail down at Arrowhead if they need a ride home.
“The first people out will grab the first cars and then the driver will take them and probably come back depending on how busy the city gets,” he said.
Rally, a party bus rideshare, offers pick-up and drop-off services for groups nationwide. Rally CEO Numaan Akram told the Kansas City Business Journal that routes to and from Swift’s Eras Tour shows have been popular across the country.
“We’re hitting records everywhere. Day-to-day, there isn’t much demand in Kansas City for us, but with the concert, we’re moving thousands of fans to and from,” Akram said.
Rally will have 10 drop-off and pick-up locations in the Kansas City metro for Swifties looking for a fun, lively ride. The company will pick up fans in Leawood, Olathe, Lawrence, Overland Park, Gladstone and Kansas City. Many of the rides are sold out, but there are still seats available to and from Lawrence, Gladstone and a number of Kansas City hotels.
Officials with the Missouri Department of Transportation are anticipating a lot of traffic.
“The road not taken looks real good now... Traffic in the Kansas City area will be heavier than normal this weekend due to @taylorswift13’s #TheErasTour at @GEHAField,” the state transportation department said in a Tweet on Friday. “If you’re not attending the show, avoid I-70 and I-435 near the stadiums if possible. Drive safely... and have a marvelous time.”
Fans turning to the city’s various car services should also be mindful of pick-up and drop-off locations at the stadium.
These drop-off and pick-up spots are at the Missouri Welcome Center located between Gates J and 2 on Blue Ridge Cutoff. Kansas City Police Department said rideshare and guest pick-up vehicles can arrive to pick up Swifties at 9 p.m. for both days in Lot J.
This story was originally published July 7, 2023 at 2:39 PM.
