This year, fans flocked to South by Southwest to see performances from their favorite artists, such as Khalid and Suki Waterhouse. However, Taylor Swift didn’t even need to perform, let alone be in the same city, for her fans to congregate in honor of the international pop sensation.
Among the A-list celebrity film premieres, headlining music performances and prestigious panels hosted by renowned tech lords, SXSW programmers set aside an entire hour dedicated to Taylor Swift fans, known as Swifties, to bond and network. On Wednesday, in a reserved conference room in the Hilton Hotel downtown, a few dozen dedicated Taylor Swift fans connected with one another.
“There’s always more to learn about (Taylor Swift),” said Audrey Ullman, a SXSW associate conference programmer.
Tracks from Taylor Swift’s eras-long music collection played in the background of friendship bracelet trading — a hallmark of Swiftie culture — and friendly conversation. Beaded bracelets strewn across a table displayed various Swift-themed messages from “I love Taylor” to Swift’s cats’ names. Ullman hosted a meet-up for the first time last year.
“It ended up being so fun because nobody was asking: ‘What do you do?’ They were asking, ‘What’s your favorite song?’ or ‘What show did you go to?’” Ullman said. “It created a really nice opportunity for community and vulnerability … so we had to do it again.”
The Swiftie attendees varied from small girls to grown men, all with sparkling beads on their wrists. When Taylor Swift show tickets average around $1,000 and vinyls average $30 each, Swifties have found other ways to make fandom participation more accessible.
“A lot of things that are fun about being a Swiftie, like collecting her vinyls or going to her shows, can be pretty cost prohibitive,” Ullman said. “Friendship bracelets cost cents to make and you usually get a friend when you share them.”
Ana Flores, a 27-year-old attendee, said she has been a die-hard fan since fifth grade. In school, she said she faced a lot of criticism for loving Swift.
“I loved her since then and endured all the bullying,” Flores said. “Now, everybody loves her.”
Another attendee, Ellen Adams, said she became a hardcore fan after Swift’s music helped her through a dark time.
“I went through a really bad break-up,” Adams said. “A couple albums were literally fucking therapy.”
Many fans at the event, including Ullman, always liked Swift’s music, but finding a sense of belonging in the Swiftie community sealed their fate in the fandom.
“Once I was around other Swifites, especially during COVID-19 and the isolation that brought, it was free therapy to be with so many other people who were kind, warm, excited and allowing (of) everyone to be their own version of a Swiftie,” Ullman said.
Ullman said the main quality she sees in Swifties is generosity, from bracelet-making to generally kind spirits.
“The thing about Swiftie culture is there’s always this bad reputation of the crazy ones, but I’ve never in real life run into one of those,” Ullman said. “What I have run into are women that would give me the shirt off their back because I said I liked it. I think we’re starved of that human connection right now.”
