Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has many traditions. The pop star always plays two surprise songs at every show, she always dives into the stage for a costume change, and she always gives her black hat to a fan during “22.” There are tens of thousands of fans in the stadium during a given concert, so being the “Lucky One” chosen to be gifted Swift’s hat is almost impossible. So, how does the singer’s team choose the person who gets the famous hat? Let’s break it down.

(Image credit: Photo by TAS2023 via Getty Images)

How Taylor Swift Chooses Who Gets The “22” Hat According To One Young Fan

Like the lil Swiftie pictured above, Grace DelVecchio is a 12-year-old girl from Yorktown, New York, who was picked out of the crowd to receive the “Red” singer’s hat during “22.” Her family told a local Yorktown publication, TapInto Yorktown, that the moment was actually “a long time coming.” DelVecchio has a special story, and she has loved Swift for years. When the family was fortunate to snag tickets to the Era’s Tour, the 12-year-old’s speech pathologist, Jenn Sparano, looked for a way for DelVecchio to meet the Midnights artist. She said:

I started reaching out to different background dancers. I was emailing the Taylor Swift PR team. I was messaging Taylor Swift. But I obviously didn’t hear back from anyone.

While she may not have heard from Swift’s team, the New York Post found DelVecchio’s story that Sparano posted on Facebook, and published an article about it. Still, there was no word from the Swift camp.

That all changed when security found the young girl and her father during the concert and brought her to the front of the stadium for a special moment. She was brought to the front, and the Grammy winner handed DelVecchio her hat, which she now keeps in a shadow box. Reflecting on the moment the special gal said:

I was shaking, I was so nervous to see her. It made me feel special.

That is such a remarkable moment and clearly, the campaigning worked. I’m sure the process for choosing someone to keep the hat is slightly different for every show, but this is some great insight into how moments like these come to fruition. Swift often chooses very young fans to receive her hat, making for an adorable picture-perfect memory that the fan will likely never forget.

(Image credit: Photo by Omar Vega/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

Sometimes People Swift Knows Personally Get The “22” Hat

While the majority of the “22” hat recipients come from the crowd and are kids who idolize Swift, sometimes the singer bestows part of her costume on someone she knows personally.

For example, when Swift’s bestie Selena Gomez brought her 9-year-old sister Gracie to a show, that’s who the pop star gave her hat to.

Also, when the Eras Tour was in LA, Swift gave her hat to Kobe Bryant’s daughter Bianka, as the “22” singer and the kiddo’s father were acquainted.

Ultimately, this emotional “22” moment is what ended up in Swift’s Eras Tour film to represent all the Swifties who have had the honor of receiving the hat.

(Image credit: Taylor Swift Productions)

Swifties Who Are Prominent On Social Media Also Get The “22” Hat

Along with little Swifties and friends of the pop star getting the hat, the singer and her team will choose fans who are popular online.

For example, the “Cruel Summer” singer notability gave her hat to 22-year-old TikTok star Mikael Arellano, who originated the viral dance to “Bejeweled” that Swift replicates in her choreography on tour, during one of her shows.

Then, during her concerts in Australia, she gave a hat to the TikToker Oliver Mills, which you can see below:

In another TikTok, he made it clear that he doesn’t want to reveal how he got the hat. However, in various videos, like the one below, you can gather other information about this sweet Eras Tour moment, like the fact that Swift signs all the hats she gives to fans:

While it may not seem like Swift is paying attention to fans who go above and beyond to show their love for her music, moments like this prove she is. The record-breaking recording artist has invited her most ardent fans to early listening parties for her albums in the past by finding them through social media. She has also sent merch boxes to some fans during Christmas time to show her love and appreciation. The “Anti-Hero” singer is clearly grateful for her fans, and she gives back however she can.

You can catch Taylor Swift on the worldwide Eras Tour for the rest of 2024. Fans of the pop princess unable to get tickets due to the infamous Ticketmaster fiasco, can still witness the magic of one of her stadium shows by streaming the Eras Tour with a Disney+ subscription starting on March 14. For more information on other projects coming from the star in the near future, make sure to consult our feature on upcoming Taylor Swift music and other things for Swifties to look forward to.