Minneapolis will be renamed "Swiftieapolis" the day that Taylor Swift takes the stage for the first of her two sold-out shows at U.S. Bank Stadium, Mayor Jacob Frey announced Wednesday.
As Swifties prepare to invade the city, Minneapolis becomes 'Swiftieapolis'
Mayor Jacob Frey unofficially changed the name of the city, as officials view the weekend of Swift and Pride as a welcome boost for Minneapolis.
June 21, 2023 at 9:53PM
The new moniker — which will last for only Friday — is in honor of the megastar and her fans, known as Swifties, who will converge for the highly-anticipated concerts Friday and Saturday in the city formerly known as Minneapolis.
Frey delivered his message — filled with 13 hidden references to Swift songs — at a news conference Wednesday. It honors the desires of at least some Swifties, but it was just an announcement: The name of Minnesota's largest city isn't officially changing, and its fleeting life as Swiftieapolis isn't being hallowed in any sort of executive order or mayoral proclamation.
On Saturday, however, Frey is expected to formally proclaim Taylor Swift Day in Minneapolis.
Frey's foray into Swiftmania came during a news conference where he and other city and civic leaders sought to cast this weekend as a showcase of a city on the rebound, seeking to shrug off the exodus wrought by the pandemic, civil unrest and the ensuing crime wave.
"We are embarking on what will be one of the most exciting weekends we have in the city of Minneapolis," he said, ticking off the Swift shows, Twin Cities Pride Festival, several theater productions and the usual trappings of summertime bar and restaurant activity.
A surge of people and a host of road closures have prompted city leaders to urge the public to be patient and plan ahead. Metro Transit is running extra trains and buses and has extended its hours to accommodate the throngs leaving the Swift concerts.
"We are expecting crowds that exceed half a million people, and we are going to be prepared," Frey said.
Community Safety Commissioner Cedric Alexander said the city's police, firefighters, EMS personnel and others are coordinating plans to meet a host of potential challenges ranging from heat stroke to crime. He said he's seeking to strike a "nice balance" where law enforcement will be visible but not in the posture of a "police state."
"You won't see an overwhelming amount of it," Alexander said.
He added that he hadn't decided to activate the city's emergency operations center in Fridley. A centralized city response has been set up at the Police Department's 1st Precinct headquarters downtown, with Deputy Chief Kathy Waite serving as incident commander.
From small businesses to giants like Target, retailers are benefitting from the $10 billion industry for South Korean pop music, including its revival of physical album sales.
