By Caitlin Lester
Taylor Swift during her performance for around 55,000 people in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Photo: Robin Van Lonkhuijsen / ANP MAG / ANP via AFP
A Wellington primary school is raffling off tickets to see pop star Taylor Swift in London, with the total first prize worth more than $20,000.
Clyde Quay School's prize includes two premium tickets to the concert on 19 August, flights to London, seven nights of luxury accommodation, and $1500 spending money.
The school's parent-teacher association (PTA) chairperson, Phernne Tancock, said fundraising was tricky in the current economic environment and it was necessary to think outside the box.
Clyde Quay School usually run a travel raffle each year, but with Taylor Swift fever sweeping the country, the PTA joked that tickets to one of her concerts would be a more tempting prize.
What started as a joke soon became reality when a member of the PTA managed to source two of the highly sought-after premier tickets through a concierge friend in London.
"Once we knew we had the golden tickets of our era, we pooled our bake-sale money and the rest is history."
The school are calling the jumbo raffle prize the "Trip of an Era", after Swift's worldwide Era's Tour.
Tickets cost $25, with fewer than 800 of the original 4500 tickets remaining up for grabs as of midday.
All proceeds will go towards an upgrade of their school hall, which will have toilets and a kitchen installed.
The hall also needs to be made suitable for use as a temporary classroom while leaky classrooms are fixed.