‘It was magical.’ NC fan goes viral after getting ‘22’ hat at Taylor Swift’s Germany show
One moment Lucia Nova Hugelmeyer was standing in the massive crowd at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stop Tuesday in Hamburg, Germany.
The next, she was at the edge of the stage with none other than the pop superstar dancing towards her.
Then, Swift placed the “22” hat on her head — a black fedora given to one very lucky fan at each of Swift’s shows.
“It felt like a dream,” Lucia said. “I mean, it was magical.”
The moment, which has gone viral on TikTok, was not something the 9-year-old from Chapel Hill expected when she embarked on a trip to Copenhagen with her sister’s lacrosse team.
“We came here in Hamburg, and we just saw that Taylor Swift was having a show, and I’ve never been,” Lucia told The News & Observer Wednesday in a virtual interview from Europe, less than 24 hours after she started making headlines for the moment.
Her mother, Alexis Hugelmeyer, surprised her with tickets to Swift’s first Hamburg concert, part of several shows Swift is performing in Germany this month.
As Lucia was dancing her heart out in the floor section of Volksparkstadion, an event staff member approached her with an offer.
At first, it didn’t hit her that she was going to get the “22” hat, a tradition at Swift’s concerts since the Eras Tour began in March 2023.
During the “Red” portion of the concert, Swift sings her hit “22” wearing a black fedora. In the middle of the song, she heads to a designated area of the sprawling stage where she typically hugs a fan and then places a fedora on their head.
Recipients have ranged from Bianca Bryant, daughter of the late basketball star Kobe Bryant, to kids like Lucia, who were chosen from the crowd. Bryant’s moment was featured in the Eras Tour movie on Disney+.
An overwhelming experience
In several videos from Tuesday’s Hamburg concert, Lucia can be seen crying as Swift approaches her with the hat.
“I love you!” she says to Swift, who replies, “I love you, too!”
Lucia also gave Swift a friendship bracelet she had made, which Swift put on her wrist and wore during the rest of the “Red” portion of the show.
“This kid is a dancer and she’s a performer, so I wasn’t surprised that she was picked,” said Alexis Hugelmeyer.
Hugelmeyer was right there with Lucia as she received the hat, recording her daughter’s experience.
“I mean, initially it was shocking,” Lucia’s mother said. “But then she got up there and was doing her thing.”
The moment was shared on social media by other attendees who fell in love with Lucia’s dance moves and excitement at meeting Swift.
“A future backing dancer for @taylorswift13 receives the 22 hat,” one Swiftie commented on a video of the exchange, according to Daily Mail.
Most of the comments focused on Lucia’s dance moves, which she said she learned from years at Renner Dance Co. in Chapel Hill. Her mother says that Lucia dreams of becoming a professional dancer.
When Lucia returns to school, she said she’ll wait until she’s asked about the moment before mentioning it.
“I want to keep calm and cool,” she said. “I don’t want to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, guys. Look what I did.’”
For now, Lucia would love to attend another Swift show, and Alexis Hugelmeyer is overwhelmed by the support her daughter has received in person and online.
“It’s been really heartwarming to see, how much love and support there was for her, especially at the show,” she said. “Everyone was really thrilled for her. Strangers who have never even met her, who were just so happy for her and excited that she got the hat.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2024 at 6:00 PM.