New Orleans outlines security plans for Taylor Swift tour | News

As thousands of Swifties count down the final days until the start of the Eras Tour in New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Friday the city is well prepared to welcome its fans and ensure public safety.

City officials called preparations for Swift's three-day concert series at Caesars Superdome “challenging” as large crowds are expected to flood downtown areas starting next week.

“We are using this tour as a precursor to the Super Bowl event in New Orleans,” Cantrell said at a news conference Friday.

With 150,000 people expected to mill through the streets of New Orleans between October 25 and 27, the city will have increased security, with police patrolling on horseback, on foot and by bicycle.

Parents and teenage girls are expected to make up a large percentage of concertgoers, officials said, and the city will work closely with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations to look for signs of human trafficking.

Starting at 7 a.m. Thursday, Duncan Plaza will be used as a designated rideshare pickup and drop-off area. Road closures around the Central Business District were possible depending on the size of the crowd, officials said. Road closures could include Poydras and Canal Streets, Loyola Avenue and Convention Center Boulevard.

Collin Arnold, the city's director of homeland security and emergency preparedness, urged the public Friday to report possible crimes or malicious activity to public safety officials.

“This is unprecedented,” said MaryBeth Romig, assistant vice president of the city’s tourism and marketing organization New Orleans and Company. Romig said that between the tour, Super Bowl LIX and Mardi Gras, they are expecting people from all over the country.

Stay tuned for more on this story.