Taylor Swift Sydney: Pop star hits stage just hours after evacuation, NFL star Travis Kelce in attendance

Taylor Swift hit the stage just hours after her Sydney show was thrown into chaos following a lightning storm on Friday.

As Swift took to the stage, she gave credit to Aussies who had come out to support her despite the bad weather.

“We have a little bit of a weather situation; we might have some rain, but I’ve never known an Aussie crowd to let that get in the way of having a good time,” she told the crowd of 81,000.

Just 90 minutes before the show was due to start, Friday night’s Accor Stadium had to be evacuated with storms closing in on the venue.

More than 80,000 fans packed the stadium for the show, which was scheduled for 7.30pm local time but had to be pushed back until the weather cleared.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Accor Stadium confirmed the show had been delayed “due to weather”.

“Stay undercover until further notice and follow venue screens and staff instructions,” the post read.

“Stay safe and remember to be kind to those around you.”

Footage shared to a fan account shows fans on the lower levels wearing ponchos and being directed to shelter during the wild weather.

“The floor and lower bowl are currently being evacuated due to lightning strikes nearby the stadium at today’s show of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ in Sydney, Australia. Please stay safe and seek shelter for now,” the post read.

Huge crowds have been seen undercover at the venue, awaiting further instruction from organisers.

Fan Mel Birch described the scenes as “mental” as fans were ushered indoors. They said they had since been allowed to return to their seat.