If no one gave you a calendar and showed you a photo of the stands of how Acrisure Stadium looked Saturday night, you probably would’ve guessed the Pittsburgh Steelers were hosting a playoff game. But there was no Kenny Pickett, T.J. Watt, or Minkah Fitzpatrick to watch.
Instead, there was Taylor Swift.
On the second night of Swift’s Eras tour stop in Pittsburgh, Acrisure Stadium set a record with a total attendance of 73,117. The stadium’s Twitter account announced the news a short time ago.
And if you’re wondering, that does include the old name/same stadium Heinz Field, which opened in 2001.
Tonight’s concert shattered the previous record of 70,622, set last season for the renewal of the Backyard Brawl where Pitt beat West Virginia 38-31. The Steelers’ record for the largest crowd game in Heinz/Acrisure history came in 2017 when 68,574 fans showed up to watch Pittsburgh host New England, the now infamous “Jesse James caught it” game, one the Steelers lost in the final seconds.
Steelers’ attendance has dipped in recent years. Last year, the team ranked just 23rd in total attendance and 21st in the capacity-adjusted sellout percentage, coming in at 96.9%. The latter number is paid attendance though, not actual, and some have speculated Pittsburgh has begun to publicly report out that number after years of noting the actual number of fans who came through the turnstiles.
But Saturday night was all about Swift. Arguably the most popular act in America, there was a monster crowd on hand for night one Friday followed by Saturday’s record amount. It doesn’t even consider the scores of fans who stood outside the stadium to listen.
Swift’s Eras tour began in March at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, quickly selling out both of her shows within an hour of tickets being released. The tour will run through early August with her final stop at SoFi Stadium for four shows. These tour was a tribute to all of Swift’s previous albums, hence the “eras” name, that saw her play her greatest hits.
It’s Pittsburgh’s biggest concert of the summer. As tweeted out by ace photographer Dave DiCello from last night’s show, Acrisure could be seen – and heard – from Mt. Washington.
After one preseason home game, the Steelers will get their first home opener since 2014 when they open up the 2023 season against the San Francisco 49ers on September 10th. They’ll follow that up with a Monday night matchup against Cleveland in Week Two. But odds are slim they’ll be able to beat the record, making Pittsburgh not a Steelers’ town but Taylor Swift country.
