It was a long time coming for Silvia Stoyanova, who finally saw Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert in Milan earlier this week.
The 35-year-old fan, who has used a wheelchair most of her life, launched a Change.Org petition in July 2023 torequest better accessibility at Swift’s San Siro Stadium concerts. After months of back-and-forth, Italian native Stoyanova received a ticket in the arena’s wheelchair access area to the pop star’s concert on Sunday, July 14.
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“When the long-awaited day arrived, I was very scared. I didn’t know what I would be facing because I know my weaknesses, my frailties, like any disabled person,” Stoyanova recalled to Variety in an interview published on Wednesday, July 17. “For us, these situations that for other people are simple, often get complicated. Even when everything seems all resolved; even when you think all should go smoothly.”
She added, “My experience, over 36 years, has taught me to always expect some unexpected snag. Once I got to San Siro stadium, I thought I would calm down and settle into my space in the disabled section. But unfortunately, once we got on site, the stadium personnel didn’t have any idea where the entrance to the disabled platform was.”
Stoyanova and her family, with whom she attended the show, were finally escorted to her seat 40 minutes into Swift’s three-and-a-half-hour show.
“Every now and again, I would glance at the stage and think, ‘Oh my God, she’s really there!’” Stoyanova remembered. “I’ve watched too many TikTok videos of Taylor [performing her concerts] this year. So watching the screens was a bit like watching those, unfortunately. But then when she was within sight on the diamond right at center stage, I said to myself, ‘Wait, we’re breathing the same air!’”
She added, “I cried a lot, during every song. Unloading all the tension, stress and fear that I carried inside me for a year. My mom and my friend were saying, ‘We got in. Why are you crying?’ And I said, ‘I know we’re in. That’s exactly why I’m crying.’”
Swift, 34, brought her Eras Tour — which she launched in March 2023 — to the Italian city on Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14. She will next perform in Germany, Poland and Austria throughout the month. Her summer leg of Eras wraps in late August at London’s Wembley Stadium.
For Stoyanova, she hopes more differently abled concertgoers will be able to follow in her footsteps and attend concerts of Swift’s and other artists’ alike.
“It’s clear that we aren’t there yet. We need to continue to push for this cause,” Stoyanova stressed. “The [Italian] minister for disabilities has made a commitment and I am involved in panels with various organizations. But it’s certainly something that takes time. And if for whatever reason, despite promises, we get cast aside, we will keep making ourselves heard. We won’t stop fighting for our rights.”