One of Super Bowl LVIII’s many storylines is nearing its peak, as global pop star Taylor Swift has reportedly left Tokyo to embark on a 5,700-mile journey to Las Vegas. It seems likely that she’ll arrive in time for the action, even though she probably won’t land directly in NFL title game’s host city.
The trip will take at least 12 hours as she crosses the international date line and nine different time zones to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and her boyfriend, All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Luckily, Vegas is 17 hours behind Japan.
Swift’s tight travel window was presented by her ongoing Eras Tour and its international touring schedule. As soon as she completed her fourth consecutive show in Japan’s Tokyo Dome on Saturday night, she rushed to a private jet at Haneda airport, according to the Associated Press.
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Her concert reportedly ended at around 9:12 p.m. JST, which converts to 4:12 a.m. PT Saturday in Las Vegas. The Super Bowl is set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The outlet added that a group of journalists were staked out near the airport’s private jet area, where they saw “four to five people” come out of minivans and use umbrellas to obstruct the view of a person as they boarded the plane.
While the Japanese Embassy was quick to post on social media that Swift should arrive at the Super Bowl in time, other establishments noted that she might have an issue landing.
On Feb. 2, a spokesperson for the Clark County Department of Aviation told the AP that there are about 475 private jet parking spaces across the four airports in the Las Vegas area. All those spots are full, according to the FAA.
Swift could reportedly land around 200 miles away at a California airport. Her options include Ontario International, San Bernardino International, Palm Springs International, and Palmdale Regional. She could land in Southern California at around 4 p.m. PT, based on when she left Japan. It takes a little over four hours to drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, which would still have her in town for the game with time to spare.
Swift owns more than one private jet, which has drawn scrutiny for issues surrounding climate change from carbon emissions. Her representation recently threatened legal action against a student who was tracking her flights.
Many of the tracked journeys brought her to Chiefs games. She was present when Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce went shirtless as he watched his brother and Kansas City win a 27-24 thriller to advance to the AFC championship game in January. A Buffalo Bills stadium worker later told of a kind interaction with Swift, who sweetened the meeting with a $100 tip.
Thanks to a holiday break from her tour, Swift has rarely missed a game since her first appearance at Arrowhead Stadium in October. She even made it to the Raiders’ win over the Chiefs on Christmas Day. The Super Bowl would be her 13th game this season, which she has touted for years as her lucky number. She most recently reminded fans of the superstition when she won her 13th Grammy Award on Feb. 4.
Once the Super Bowl is over, Swift is expected to fly to Australia later in the week to continue her tour.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
