The Impact of the Eras Tour
By Rachel H
The Eras Tour is a record-breaking concert tour that was announced by singer-songwriter and popstar Taylor Swift almost two years ago that has swept through the globe. Consisting of over 150 shows that spread across 5 continents, and a run-time of almost two years, it's safe to say most people have heard of it. Whether or not you consider yourself a Swiftie, or even just a casual listener, you can't deny that what Taylor Swift is doing is groundbreaking. In every city she's toured in, she's not just donated a large sum of money to a charitable organization in said cities, she's boosted the city's economy. Continuing, when she isn't on tour, she's boosted the NFL by 330 million dollars, even though some people think she's bad for football.
On November 1st of 2022, Taylor Swift made a rare television appearance to announce The Eras Tour via Good Morning America and her social media. She described the upcoming tour as a, "journey through the musical eras of her career." The idea of a Taylor tour after 5 years of not seeing her on stage created a wild amount of excitement for fans. Swifties around the globe were figuring out how to get tickets the second they heard the word, "tour," but they had no idea how much of a challenge it would turn out to be.
After the announcement, an estimated 3.5 million people registered for The Eras Tour presale, (including me). On November 15th, Ticketmaster crashed within an hour of tickets going on sale, and 2.4 million tickets were sold, which broke ticket-selling records. Live Nation blamed Taylor's overwhelming fanbase for the shutdown. The general onsale was later cancelled, and a large amount of tickets ended up in the hands of scalpers who resold them for ridiculous prices. Following pressure from Joe Biden, Ticketmaster finally got rid of their junk fees and was transparent about fees for consumers. The Federal Trade Commission issued a federal ban on surprise fees, and Ticketmaster underwent controversy again in 2023 when the Europe leg of tickets sold. As a result, a federal investigation into Ticketmaster was launched. Later, multiple states, such as New York and California, outlawed bots and overcharging. The whole incident has been described as, "The Great War," which references the Taylor Swift song.
On March 17th 2023, the first ever Eras show kicked off. It was a sold out show in Glendale, Arizona, but that didn't stop hundreds of thousands of people tuning in on live streams to see Taylor take the stage for the first time in half a decade. The atmosphere was insane, every single song on the setlist was one surprise song after another. The show stretched 3 hours, with 44 songs played non-stop without any set breaks. The whole show was beautiful and mind-blowing; between the setlist, the costumes, the props, and the effects, Taylor and her entire team did an amazing job of making all 10 eras come to life, and incorporating all the necessary details.
One of the things fans were most excited for when The Eras Tour was announced was the setlist. Taylor had released 4 brand new albums and 2 re-recordings at the time with new tracks on them since the Reputation album came out in 2017. Nobody knew what to expect, and nobody expected the setlist to span 3 hours.
The openers of The Eras Tour play an important part of the tour as well. From Gracie Abrams to Paramore to Sabrina Carpenter, the openers bring such a positive atmosphere to the hours leading up to the actual show. Openers have even factored in what shows fans want to attend so they can see the openers they love, along with Taylor. Personally, I picked the show I attended because of the openers.
The smaller details of the show might even be the best parts. The stage, the costumes, and the sets all portray the smaller details about each era. For instance, the Folklore cabin portrays the energy that the Folklore album represents, and the costumes depict each era, like all the Fearless dresses are different shades of silvers and golds, just like the album, and the Reputation part of the show has dozens of effects that show snakes to fit the aesthetic of the album.
There have been a few announcements on The Eras Tour so far, between re-recording announcements and music videos, Taylor never fails to surprise her fans with special announcements on tour. For some announcements, there would be small easter eggs left that would hint at announcement details, but for most of them, they were basically out of nowhere.
On May 5th, 2023, at the first Nashville show of The Eras Tour, Taylor announced she was releasing her third re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) on July 7th. The announcement in itself was a surprise that not a lot of people saw coming, especially because this was the first announcement made on tour during a show. She followed the announcement by playing one of my favorite songs from the album, Sparks Fly. It's my favorite album, so I was super excited for it.
On August 9th, 2023, at the last Los Angeles show and final show of the U.S. first leg of The Eras Tour, Taylor announced she was releasing her fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version) on October 27th. This announcement was more expected because of the easter eggs that Taylor dropped, between blue outfits for show costumes to match the 1989 color scheme, to blue lights being shown on the light-up bracelets handed out at every show after the shows leading up to the announcement, and how 8/9, the date of the announcement, is the last two digits of 1989.
On separate occasions, Taylor announced that she was releasing two music videos to go along with two of her songs. At Metlife Stadium, Taylor announced a music video of her song, "Karma," with Ice Spice as a featured collaborator, and later, Ice Spice came out and sang, "Karma," with Taylor at the end of the show. Also, at Arrowhead Stadium, Taylor announced a music video for her song, "I Can See You," which featured Taylor Lautner, Joey King, and Presley Cash. Both announcements were very unexpected, but also insanely great for fans.
Since her first tour, fans of Taylor have come up with traditions that they implement during her shows. The Eras Tour is no exception. There have been many little traditions that have been brought into this tour, such as dressing up as certain eras or replicating iconic outfits Taylor has worn over time. And, because the number 13 has major significance in the Swiftie world, those who attend Taylor's shows usually draw a 13 on their hands as a part of their costumes. Continuing, song chants have been a tour tradition dating back multiple tours, and the most popular ones are during Champagne Problems and Delicate. These chants are fun little ways to connect with the people sitting around you at the shows. Finally, friendship bracelet trading has also been a major tradition, specifically across this tour. In one of her songs, which she has played 11 times as a surprise song, Taylor mentions making friendship bracelets, which fans took that lyric and ran with it. These bracelets usually contain song lyrics or things Taylor has said, and the Swifties who make them are always open to trading at shows. I made around 70 for my show, and I traded all of them, and it's a great way to meet people!
On August 31st, 2023, Taylor announced via her social media that she was releasing a concert film for the first U.S. leg of The Eras Tour, which had already been speculated by fans after the first three L.A. shows were professionally filmed. On October 11th, 2023, in Los Angeles, a movie premiere was held at AMC 14 at The Grove for The Eras Tour film. Fans over the age of 18 were invited to attend the premiere and meet Taylor on the red carpet, and Taylor made sure every person waiting for a picture and a chance to meet her got to. Also, after fans had entered the theatre and were in their respective auditoriums, Taylor went to each theatre to say hi to the fans and talk about the movie. After the premiere, Taylor posted a heartfelt thank you on her social media, and shared a picture with Beyonce, who attended the premiere. Released in theatres on October 13th, 2023, The Eras Tour film was a smashing success in all aspects. There was even a queue on AMC to buy tickets. Tickets sold out rapidly, and fans were just as dedicated to getting tickets to the film as they were for the tour. In the box office, the movie gained around $261.7 million, with many fans seeing it multiple times. The movie was a nostalgic reminder of an amazing night for so many people, and it was a way for those who weren't able to attend the tour to experience it on screen; people loved it. A few songs from the setlist were cut from the film, which prompted the release of the uncut version on Disney in March of 2024.
When Taylor kicked off her European leg of tour, there was a massive overhaul of the setlist to fit her new album, The Tortured Poets Department. There was a new setlist and new costumes and new openers, along with the concept of mashups in surprise songs. There were also incredible special guests, and one that will forever be talked about was Taylor's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, joining her on stage in London.
On December 8th, 2024, after almost two years, the Eras Tour came to an emotional close in Vancouver. It marked the end of an incredible, historical journey that cannot ever be topped. The Eras Tour has created a sense of community and family in the past year, and it's given people a lasting sense of belonging within a community of people who love the same things they do. For either a three hour show or movie, or both, fans get to experience the pure magic that The Eras Tour brings. Even fans who couldn't secure tickets have participated in, "Taylor-gating," which is simply just standing outside the stadium and enjoying the show without having tickets, which is a popular way Swifties use to connect with each other. There is an unlimited amount of love and kindness in these shows, and the people that I have met via The Eras Tour have been some of the most important people in my life. If all else fails, you can always count on the nostalgia and love The Eras Tour brings.