Taylor Swift academic conference to be held in Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WXIN) — Indiana University announced Thursday that the “world’s first” academic conference focusing on the phenomenon that is Taylor Swift will be held next month in Bloomington.
The event, titled “Taylor Swift: The Conference Era,” will be held on Nov. 3 and 4 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater near the IU-Bloomington campus. The university also said that adjacent events will be held on Nov. 2 and 5 on campus.
The conference, IU said, will “gather Swifties and scholars to speak on pertinent topics through the lens of the star” as she performs on her worldwide Eras Tour.
“A brainchild of the IU Arts & Humanities Council, the conference includes speakers who will reflect upon the icon’s cultural relevance and her influence on pop culture, the economy, gender, fandom, politics, music theory, history and more,” IU said in a news release.
According to the university, over 1,000 attendees have already registered for the 2-day conference so far.
The festivities surrounding the conference, IU said, are set to begin at 4 p.m. on Nov. 2 at the Art Plaza on campus and last until 7 p.m. The event will then be followed by a 9 p.m. dance party at local club The Back Door.
The following Friday and Saturday, conference panels are set to take place from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, including a screening of the Swift-directed “All Too Well” music video at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.
The events being held at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, IU said, will be free to attend but will also be ticketed. Tickets will be limited to four per person and it is recommended that attendees be 12 or older, IU said.
The weekend will then conclude on Nov. 5 with a “Taylor Swift Artist Market” being held from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cook Center for Public Arts and Humanities. At the event, vendors will sell Swift-related goods.
“Ticket holders are not required to attend all panels,” IU said. “Saturday is currently sold out, which may be ‘champagne problems’ for those who wished to attend that day, but tickets for Friday are still available in limited quantity.”
This is not the only Swift-related event taking place in the Hoosier State over the next year.
Taylor herself will be bringing her Eras Tour to Indianapolis in 2024, with three concerts set to be held in November at Lucas Oil Stadium.