It’s your turn, Pittsburgh

Laura Malt Schneiderman
lschneiderman@post-gazette.com

June 8, 2023

Taylor Swift fans battled to get tickets to the “Shake It Off” pop superstar’s “The Eras” concert.  She plays Pittsburgh on June 16 and 17, and tickets are running for more than $1,500 apiece at the cheapest.

If you have your tickets in hand, now comes the easy part — navigating the North Shore and Acrisure Stadium on concert day. Here are some other resources:

And here’s what to expect:

Singer Taylor Swift performs with her dancers in her ''Reputation'' tour on Aug. 7, 2018, at Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium) on the North Shore. (Post-Gazette)

The concert

Expect a show of more than three hours.

The set list is divided in 10 parts, each focusing on one of the singer’s albums. The set list from the first show is as follows, but may vary in other shows:

Act I: Lover

  1. “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince”
  2. “Cruel Summer”
  3. “The Man”
  4. “You Need to Calm Down”
  5. “Lover”
  6. “The Archer”

Act II: Fearless

  1. “Fearless”
  2. “You Belong with Me”
  3. “Love Story”

Act III: Evermore

  1. “Tis the Damn Season”
  2. “Willow”
  3. “Marjorie”
  4. “Champagne Problems”
  5. “Tolerate It”

Act IV: Reputation

  1. “…Ready for It?”
  2. “Delicate”
  3. “Don’t Blame Me”
  4. “Look What You Made Me Do”

Act V: Speak Now

  1. “Enchanted”

Act VI: Red

  1. “22”
  2. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
  3. “I Knew You Were Trouble”
  4. “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)”

Act VII: Folklore

  1. “Seven” (spoken interlude) / “Invisible String”
  2. “Betty”
  3. “The Last Great American Dynasty”
  4. “August”
  5. “Illicit Affairs”
  6. “My Tears Ricochet”
  7. “Cardigan”

Act VIII: 1989

  1. “Style”
  2. “Blank Space”
  3. “Shake It Off”
  4. “Wildest Dreams”
  5. “Bad Blood”

Act IX: Acoustic set

  1. First surprise song
  2. Second surprise song

Act X: Midnights

  1. “Lavender Haze”
  2. “Anti-Hero”
  3. “Midnight Rain”
  4. “Vigilante Shit”
  5. “Bejeweled”
  6. “Mastermind”
  7. “Karma”

Opening acts will be Girl in Red both nights plus Gracie Abrams on June 16 and OWENN on June 17.

Concert goers tailgate in the Gold 1 garage parking lot on West General Robinson Street in 2018. (Post-Gazette)

The Priory Hotel, a renovated church on the North Side, is now a hotel and event venue. (Post-Gazette)

Hotels

Pittsburgh and Allegheny County hotels for the weekend of Ms. Swift’s performances are sold out. However, you can find rooms farther afield in neighboring counties:

Robert West, left, checks fans' bags before they enter the stadium. (Post-Gazette)

Bags

Acrisure has strict rules about what you bring to the arena. Each person, adults and children, may carry one clear bag and one clutch purse.

Clear bag

This must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and not exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches. If the bag has a logo, it must be 4.5 inches tall by 3.4 inches wide or smaller. Alternatively, you may bring a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag such as Ziploc.

Clutch purse

Clutch purses of dimensions 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches with or without a handle or strap are allowed, along with one of the clear bag options.

Also permitted

You can bring diapers and wipes, but not a diaper bag.

You can also bring medically necessary items, but they must be inspected at the gate first.

Not permitted

You cannot bring the following into the stadium: Backpack (even if clear), binocular case, camera case, tinted plastic bag, printed pattern plastic bag, computer bag, fanny pack, zippered seat cushion, seat cushion with back, oversize tote bag, cinch bag, diaper bag, mesh bag or a purse larger than the clutch purse dimensions.

Noah Adcock, 21, from Downtown, works the bar while Dave Borrebach, 72, and his wife, Margaret Kinsky, 69, from Ohio Township, have drinks at the Foundry before a Pirates game last year. (Post-Gazette)

The new Acrisure logo is displayed on the Heinz Field scoreboard on July 11, 2022. (Post-Gazette)

Getting There

From the airport

  1. Merge onto I-376 E toward Pittsburgh / Turnpike East / I-79.
  2. I-376 East becomes I-279 North. Continue on I-279.
  3. Take exit 1B on the left toward North Shore.
  4. Turn slight left onto Reedsdale Street.
  5. Turn left onto Allegheny Avenue, which becomes North Shore Drive.
  6. Follow North Shore Drive, which circles Acrisure Stadium.

From I-279 Parkway North

  1. Follow I-279 South to the North Shore Exit (Acrisure Stadium / PNC Park).
  2. Follow Reedsdale to the second traffic light.
  3. Turn left onto Allegheny Avenue.
  4. Follow North Shore Drive, which circles Acrisure Stadium.

From the PA Turnpike

  1. Take the Monroeville Exit toward Pittsburgh via I-376 West.
  2. Take Exit 70C to North Shore ramp / Fort Duquesne Bridge
  3. Keep left on Fort Duquesne Bridge to Acrisure Stadium / North Shore Exit.

Alternate Routes

To avoid I-279 Northbound Exit 1B congestion:

To avoid I-279 Southbound Exit 1B congestion: