The wait is over and Taylor Swift is in Australia ahead of her first show in Melbourne, where she is expected to play in front of the biggest audience of her career.

Swift’s private jet touched down in the early hours of Friday morning, after a busy few weeks of winning big at the Grammys, performing in Japan and celebrating her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Super Bowl triumph.

Thousands of Swifties in Melbourne and Sydney are also on their way – along with thousands more from rural areas and interstate.

Regional airline Bonza is among those reporting a “Swift lift” in bookings.

CEO Tim Jordan said there had been a bump in demand for flights from the Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg, Toowoomba, Port Macquarie and Mildura to both of Melbourne’s main airports.

It follows Virgin Australia reporting a 656 per cent jump in bookings to Melbourne and Sydney on the concert dates.

Brisbane Airport has reported a 5 per cent bump in flights between February 15 and 19 for Swift’s Melbourne dates and February 22 and 27 for her Sydney events.

Airport spokesman Peter Doherty said that translated to an estimated extra 8500 people travelling to Sydney, 3900 more on flights to Melbourne and 3400 passengers from central and north Queensland transiting through Brisbane.

The megastar’s tour has boosted local economies and broken records, and her presence in Australia alone is likely to cause a frenzy.

Sydney and Melbourne have welcomed high-profile celebrities in the past. But Swift’s power appears to be truly unprecedented.

• ‘Low act’: ACCC issues warning about Taylor Swift tickets scam

Swift at the MCG and Accor Stadium

Swift’s three performances at the MCG are tipped to be her biggest shows yet. She will appear in front of 86,000 people each night.

The gates at the MCG will open at 4.30pm for each of her shows and Sabrina Carpenter will take the stage at 6.20pm.

The MCG is warning fans not to congregate in the surrounding Yarra Park.

There will be no activations or screens in the park and the priority will be to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of ticket holders.

Tweet from @MCG

Similarly, Sydney’s Accor Stadium has warned it won’t tolerate any Taylor-gating during concerts from February 23 to 26.

Despite that, Sydney Olympic Park will be packed – and not just with Swifties.

Blink 182 fans will also feature, with two of the punk rock band’s shows coinciding with Swift’s tour.

On those nights, a combined crowd of more than 100,000 is expected. People attending both performances have been urged to catch public transport to Olympic Park.

Hundreds of additional trains and buses will run to Olympic Park each night, with the fare included in show tickets.

Those driving should pre-book car spots or make use of designated drop-off and pick-up zones.

The MCG is also accessible via public transport and authorities have extended the Melbourne CBD free tram zone for Swift’s concerts.

Regional Swifties should keep in mind that strike action affecting V/Line services may impact getting to the Melbourne show on Friday.

More than 80 services were cancelled on Monday following strike action by V/Line workers between 3am and 7am.

Taylor Swift fans are on their way to Sydney and Melbourne en masse.

Warning for concert goers

UNSW crowd safety expert Dr Milad Haghani said crowd safety in Australia was advanced, but there were still risks.

Last year, a fan died at Swift’s show in Brazil, after temperatures soared into the high 30s.

Haghani hopes Australian fans will educate themselves before the concerts. It should include how to recognise and respond to health emergencies, such as heatstroke or dehydration.

Both Australian venues will allow patrons to bring in soft plastic water bottles and there will be bubblers for refills.

Rain, hail or shine, the shows will go on, unless there is severe weather that could harm patrons, Swift or her team.

Both the MCG and Accor are open-air venues. Tops of about 25 degrees are expected in Melbourne for each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the weather bureau said.

Sydney’s shows are still too far away for the bureau to offer a forecast. But Accuweather is tipping sun on February 23 and 24, and possible rain on the final night.

Each stadium also has bag policies and list of prohibited items, like carabiners for friendship bracelets, umbrellas or large signs. Details for Sydney are here and Melbourne, here.

Tweet from @frontiertouring

What to do if Taylor Swift is not your thing

If you’re not a fan of Swift, it’s going to be hard to avoid her fans, so perhaps it’s best to steer clear of the MCG and Sydney Olympic Park.

Given the crowds, it’s likely public transport around the venues will be packed.

If you need a few quiet nights in, this will be the perfect excuse.

Plenty of fans missed out on tickets, but if you’re in Melbourne, you can catch The Errors Tour by Filipino drag queen Taylor Sheesh at Federation Square on Friday.