Swift fans crash AMC app chasing tickets

Taylor Swift's fanbase once again proved its sheer force on September 19, overwhelming AMC Theatres' app as tickets went live for 'Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl'.

Within minutes of the noon release, the app displayed a heavy-traffic warning, placing hopeful buyers in virtual queues with a 'two-minute wait' that stretched to over an hour

The 89-minute programme, running October 3-5 across AMC's 540 US theatres, will mark the release of Swift's 12th studio album 'The Life of a Showgirl'. Fans attending will get exclusive first looks, including the premiere of the 'Fate of Ophelia' music video, along with Swift's commentary on the album

Demand was so high that AMC urged fans to try purchasing tickets directly at local theatres or attempt again later. The spike even disrupted bookings for unrelated films, leaving some moviegoers unable to secure seats for standard screenings

Swift's global reach is reflected in AMC's rollout. Alongside the US launch, screenings will debut simultaneously in Canada, Mexico, the UK, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. For territories not included in the first wave, Swifties can expect announcements in early October

AMC, having weathered similar fan-driven ticket storms with 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour' concert film, anticipated lively auditoriums. Audiences will be encouraged to sing and dance during the 'Showgirl' event, though staff will enforce rules against standing on seats or blocking aisles

For Swift, who has built an empire on mixing spectacle with intimacy, the screenings are both a celebration and a marketing juggernaut. For AMC, the queues — frustrating though they may be — signal a reliable box office draw in an era when theatres continue to battle streaming competition

If the early rush is any indication, 'Showgirl's' release weekend could again redefine what it means to launch an album in the age of cinema-scale fandom.