You're (not) On Your Own, Kid: Everything to know about Taylor Swift's Detroit shows

Taylor Swift will grace Detroit with two shows at Ford Field this weekend, which is great news for Swifties and terrible news for anyone looking to park downtown for any other reason.

Fans of Swift are coming in from around the U.S. (and around the world) for the sold-out shows. If you're one of them, you're not alone — thousands of people will be heading into Detroit this weekend for the shows and the parties and events celebrating them.

Here's everything you need to know if you're going to the Eras Tour this weekend:

Swift will perform two shows in Detroit, both at Ford Field. They are on Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10. The show starts at 6:30 p.m., but doors open at 4:30 p.m.

There are two openers on the tour. Gracie Abrams will perform Friday, while OWENN will play Saturday; girl in red will be at both shows.

Swift usually gets to the stage around 8. From there, the show typically runs between three and 3.5 hours.

Ford Field released a specific list of things allowed during the Taylor Swift concert, and your clear bag is probably A-OK. The specifics of the policy allow for clear bags that are not bigger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches. (Gallon-sized freezer bags are also allowed!)

You can also bring (small!) clutches or camera bags, although nothing bigger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. It can come in with one of the clear bag options, and it does not matter if it has a handle or strap. Diaper bags are not allowed, but baby items such as bottles and formula are allowed if you have a child with you. They must come in a clear bag.

Of course, anything you need medically — insulin, oxygen tanks, breast pumps — are all allowed. Breast pumps will need to be inspected, according to Ford Field.

Signs are allowed as long as it doesn't block anyone else's view. (Be considerate!) Battery-operated clothing will need to be inspected, and will only be considered if there are no loose batteries and wires.

Ford Field is not allowing balloons, drones, confetti or glitter, food, selfie sticks or large umbrellas. For more on what you can't bring, visit Ford Field's website.

Nope.

This week will be mostly dry, although there is a chance of showers Saturday afternoon and evening. But even if it does rain, Ford Field has a roof.

Detroit has a whole variety of parking lots in the downtown area, many of which are in walking distance to the stadium. Many lots will have open spaces the day of, but if you want to be relatively close, you might want to get there early — especially because there are a variety of other events in Detroit this weekend.

If you want to reserve your space, apps like ParkWhiz allow you to book a spot in advance. Make sure your lot doesn't close before the end of the show, though — it is expected to run through about 11:30, and you'll need to allocate time to actually get out of your lot or garage. You should be warned that parking reservations this close to the show are limited, and the ones that do exist are expensive.

Parking a little farther out is also an option. Try the People Mover, which travels around the city for 75 cents (the Broadway station is the closest to Ford Field) or the QLine, which travels up and down Woodward (and drops you closes to Ford Field at the Foxtown and Grand Circus stops).

Walking downtown in Detroit, like in any city, is relatively safe, but it may help to plan your route beforehand so you don't get lost or end up in a crowd going to a totally different event.

The city of Detroit on Tuesday put out a specific location where anyone looking to get picked up after the shows — think Uber, parents picking up kids, and so on — should head.

After the show, those getting picked up should head west out of the venue (toward Comerica Park), and walk on the overpass over Fisher Freeway to the pickup point, which will be marked. There will be two lanes, and Michigan State Police as well as the Detroit Police Department will help to direct traffic. Up to 200 cars will be able to line up, according to the city.

It is roughly a five-minute walk from the venue to the pickup spot.

This weekend will be a BUSY one in downtown Detroit, which might make reserving parking ahead of time an even better idea. There are a variety of concerts and shows at the city's other venues, including Saint Andrew's Hall, the Fisher Theater and more. Motor City Pride is on Saturday (and Sunday) at Hart Plaza. There will be a Tigers game at Comerica Park — literally across the street from Ford Field — both Friday and Saturday, although Saturday's game is in the afternoon.

This is to say: Arrive early, enjoy the city, and expect parking to be a mess.

Whatever you want. A lot of fans are dressing from their favorite era — think pastel sunrise colors for Lover or fishnet tights for Reputation — or copying iconic Swift outfits from the past, but basically anything goes. That includes fancy full-length dresses, fun costumes, and so on. Fans who have already attended recommend wearing comfortable shoes, even if they don't quite match the outfit. Taylor Swift performs for hours, and you don't want to be ripping your shoes off your feet 30 minutes in.

It's worth noting light-up clothing is not allowed, nor is anything profane. The same rules apply to signs.

And, of course, bring your friendship bracelets. (More on that below.)

Yes! According to Ford Field's website, they will permit any friendship bracelets worn. You can bring as many as you want, but make sure they're not going to interrupt the inspection process.

If you're not sure why people are talking about bracelets: Fans have made elaborate plans to make and share friendship bracelets (think plastic beads on elastic cord) before and during the show. The idea comes from a line in Swift's 2022 song "You're On Your Own, Kid," where she encourages the listener to "make the friendship bracelets / take the moment and taste it" as a sort of sign that they can handle what will be thrown at them as long as they're willing to keep moving forward. If you make a few, people may ask you to trade at the show.

The whole point of surprise songs is that they are a surprise! Swift has been leaning a little more wistful lately, though, with the bulk of her Chicago surprise songs being a bit more mournful of past relationships.

Alas, some of the most obvious choices for Detroit — "Coney Island," "Getaway Car" — have already been sung at past shows, and Swift doesn't typically repeat unless she messed it up the first time she performed it.

It's worth noting there are two Swift songs that mention Motown by name: "London Boy" (where she sings "I love my hometown, as much as Motown") and "King of my Heart" ("you move to me like I'm a Motown beat,") although it's hard to know for sure what she'll go for.

Detroit has a plethora of wonderful restaurants to check out, but if you're trying to eat inside the stadium, all "Streats of Detroit" stands sell hot dogs and chips. There are also a variety of partner restaurants around the stadium — check online for the ones closest to your seats.

If you are a lover of fun drinks, this concert is for you: Ford Field is putting out 11 (!!) specialty cocktails for the concerts — 10 album-themed drinks and the "spritz (your version)," which is flavored vodka, soda and lemonade with glitter and rock candy.

The drinks are:

Each drink has slight different locations, all of which can be found online.

Not many, and they're not easy to get. Ticketmaster will likely drop a very limited number of tickets to those who had already gotten Verified Fan access, but it probably won't be enough for everyone still looking.

Tickets are available for resale as well, but be careful treading those waters — as with any prolific concert, scammers are hoping to make money off eager fans. Tickets are listed on sites like StubHub, but the prices are high. Even seats high in the stadium with obstructed views were listed for more than $1,400 on Tuesday. If you want to be on the floor, expect to spend several thousand dollars per seat.

For some, your best chance may actually be Twitter, where fans have started their own sort of market to get seats into the hands of actual fans. Accounts like @ErasTourResell flag TicketMaster drops and connect sellers with buyers.

A smart idea is to make sure everyone in their group has their ticket well before you get downtown for the concert. If you're heading in together, make sure they're on the account of your most responsible friend, or otherwise make sure each person has the tickets they need to get inside.

It is a good idea to make sure they are saved to your phone's wallet so that you don't have to worry about Ticketmaster loading on the day of the show. Screenshots won't work to get you in.

At previous tour stops, Swift's team rolls out merch trucks where fans can pick up sweatshirts, posters and other goods ahead of time. These are typically available to anyone, regardless of whether they have tickets. The location of that truck is usually announced the Wednesday or Thursday before the show.

Merch is also sold on concert day, but it may be harder to find specific items or sizes, or you may have to visit several stands. Expect long lines no matter where you're waiting.