Taylor Swift releases her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” at midnight eastern time Thursday, or 10 p.m. local time for Denver area Swifties.

Swift dazzled sold-out crowds of about 70,000 fans two nights in a row in 2023 on the Denver stop of her Eras Tour.

Now, Denver Swifties are buzzing with excitement for the new album’s release Thursday night, and a variety of events around the metro area will bring Swifties together to celebrate, from listening parties with Swift-themed cocktails and dance parties to an official movie theater release of the album and music video.

…Are You Ready For It?

Listening parties

A variety of listening parties are happening in the metro Denver area Thursday and through the weekend. The Denver Gazette compiled a list of several of them.

Town Hall Collaborative, 525 Santa Fe Dr., Denver – 7 p.m. Thursday

Town Hall Collaborative will be decked out “Showgirl-style” for a night of activities starting at 7 p.m. Pre-release activities include photo ops, a Swiftie scavenger hunt, album predictions, a dance party and a costume contest. At 10 p.m. when the album drops, there will be a first playthrough of the album. Eventbrite lists ticket prices at $16.78

Happy Camper, 3211 N. Pecos St., Denver – 7 p.m. Thursday

A night of music, themed cocktails and activities like flash tattoos and a trucker hat bar. The album will play at 10 p.m. for attendees. The event is 21+ and tickets are $10. The ticket includes one drink.

Records on Main, 2430 W. Main St., Littleton – 9 p.m. Thursday

Records on Main’s listening party starts at 9 p.m., with games, a friendship bracelet making station, flash tattoos and a photo booth. They will play the new album at 10 p.m. There will also be a costume contest with the chance to win a free album. This event was listed as “sold out” Thursday morning.

Jackson’s LODO, 1520 20th St., Denver – 8 p.m. Thursday

Starting at 8 p.m., Jackson’s LODO will host a singalong to Swift’s top hits from every era, a photo booth, themed cocktails, a friendship bracelet station, trivia and games before the 10 p.m. album release. At 10 p.m., Swifties can listen to the album together. Tickets are listed for $10 or $250 for group cabana experience.

Life of a Food Hall at Milk Market, 1800 Wazee St., Denver – 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct.4.

Milk Market’s album release party will include a DJ, Taylor Swift themed drinks like “Ophelia’s Fate” and “Lavender Haze,” friendship bracelets, flash tattoos and a dance party. Entry is free, but Milk Market encourages reservations because the dance floor fills quickly.

Cirrus Social Club, 3200 E. Colfax Ave., Denver – 9 p.m. Thursday

Cirrus will play Taylor Swift’s greatest hits from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., then play the new album when it drops at 10 p.m. They will also serce a “Lavender Haze” strain and “specialty beverage.” Tables are listed at $30.

Life of a Showbird at Halcyon Hotel, 245 Columbine St., Denver – 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3.

Halcyon will hold a release party with a friendship bracelet table, DJ, cocktails and a costume contest. RSVP is free.

Moxy Boulder, 1247 Pleasant St., Boulder – 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3.

Moxy Boulder will host a listening party with cocktails and mocktails inspired by the new album.

Boulder Library teen listening party, 1001 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder – 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.

Teenagers ages 12 to 18 can listen to the album together in Boulder Library’s teen space on Saturday. The library will have crafts, activities and snacks.

Target release

Target locations across the country will host midnight EST releases of the new album, offering vinyls and CDs for sale at 500 stores. Select stores will stay open until 1 a.m. local time. Due to high demand, there will be a purchase limit of four per item per guest, according to Target’s website.

Participating Target locations in the Denver area include the following.

• Denver SW, 9390 W. Cross Dr., Littleton
• Glendale, 4301 E. Virginia Ave., Glendale
• Highlands Ranch, 1265 Sgt Jon Stiles Dr., Highlands Ranch
• Loveland, 1725 Rocky Mountain Ave., Loveland
• Westminster Orchard Parkway, 14451 Orchard Pkwy., Westminster

The Official Release Party of a Showgirl

The Official Release Party of a Showgirl will play in select theaters from Oct. 3 to Oct. 5. The show will include a world premiere showing of the music video for the song “The Fate of Ophelia” and behind the scenes footage from the music video shoot. It will also include new lyric videos and Swift’s personal reflections on songs from the album.