People who were hoping to shop at The Grove in the Fairfax District Wednesday were forced to make other plans, thanks to Taylor Swift.
The upscale mall was closed for the day to accommodate the premiere of the highly anticipated movie “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.” A message on the mall’s website said only, “The Grove will be closed today. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!”
The invitation-only event was being held Wednesday night at the 14-screen AMC theater in the shopping mall. It’s unclear exactly who is on the guest list, or if Swift herself plans to attend, although multiple reports — fueled by the heavy security in place — suggested she will be on hand.
Swift is still touring, but she’s on a performance break until the tour picks up again next month in Argentina.
The movie is set to screen at 7 p.m., but those who received invitations were told to show up at around 2 p.m., according to TMZ. Crowds were seen amassing along the extensive red carpet by mid-afternoon.
Swift has been making waves in the NFL recently thanks to her apparently budding romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The singer has been spotted hanging out in stadium luxury boxes with Kelce’s mother and other celebrities, including Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Blake Lively.
Motorists in the area of The Grove will likely encounter some road closures or restrictions into the evening, thanks to the high security. Video from the scene Wednesday morning showed a large security presence on the perimeter of the mall, along with barricades to restrict vehicle traffic.
The movie chronicles Swift’s highly successful Eras Tour, which included six performances at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Analysts have said more than $100 million in advance tickets have already been sold for the film.
The film was expected to open on Friday, but Swift herself took to social media Wednesday afternoon to announce that the opening was being advanced to Thursday.
“I can’t really wrap my head around this but ….. Look what you genuinely made me do: Due to unprecedented demand we’re opening up early access of showing of The Eras Tour Concert Film on THURSDAY in America and Canada!! As in TOMORROW. We’re also adding additional showtimes Friday and throughout the weekend,” Swift wrote on her Instagram page.
“… I can’t thank you enough for wanting to see this film that so vividly captures my favorite adventure I’ve ever been a part of: The Eras Tour. And the best part is, it’s an adventure we’re still on together.”
She ended the post by write, “Getting in the car now…,” an apparent suggestion she was on her way to The Grove for the big event.
TMZ reported that 2,200 fans received invitations for Wednesday’s premiere event. Various media outlets reported that the owner of The Grove, former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso, is reimbursing the mall’s tenants for lost revenue they will suffer due to the daylong closure of the shopping center.
The Original Farmers Market adjacent to The Grove remained open. The market proclaimed on its social media pages that it will be open normal hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. People heading to the market, however, may want to plan on some extra travel time due to the traffic restrictions in the area.