By Kathryn Taleporos | April 24, 2023
Taylor Swift began her record breaking tour, “The Eras Tour”, on March 17th, in Glendale, Arizona. Swift is performing across the country for 52 shows in 20 cities. Since her last planned tour, Lover Fest, was canceled due to Covid, Swift has released three more albums. “The Eras Tour” is different from traditional tours as Swift incorporates different songs from across her discography. This is special for fans because it is a culmination of her entire career. She revisits these memories that Swifties have grown up with. The tour made headlines before it even began. Many fans went through the Ticketmaster fiasco that left them waiting for hours to buy tickets, with many left still unable to get them.
The sheer amount of fans attending this show exemplifies Swift’s influence and the excitement for this tour. This is a fan’s guide to everything you need to know before going to see The Eras Tour.
The Show: The concert itself begins at 6:30 with two openers performing at each show. Swift comes on stage around eight every night, and plays a three hour set. Timing varies with each stadium, but most stadiums have been opening the door at 3:30 for VIPs and 4:30 for everyone else. Be sure to check your stadium’s website before your show to check for specific timing.
The Setlist: *spoilers ahead* Swift performs her longest concert yet. She sings 33 songs, totaling about three hours of music. She starts her concert with the song “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince '' from her album Lover. She welcomes fans by starting with the line, “It’s been a long time coming.” With this being “The Era’s Tour,” Swift sings songs from across her “eras,” or her album aesthetics. Swift travels from her folklore era, which is composed of softer and more somber songs, to her rock/pop inspired Reputation and 1989 eras. She closes the tour with the song “Karma” from her newest album, Midnights.
Venues: Before going, make sure to check out the venue’s website to look at their policies. All venues have some kind of bag policy, and many venues prohibit bags that are not a certain size, or bags that are not clear. If you are driving, you should research the stadium’s parking policy. Some stadiums have parking vouchers that can be purchased ahead of time to ensure that you get a parking spot, others open their parking lots up to five hours before the show. To avoid any issues with these policies, do research on the specific venue you are going to.
Things to Bring: With doors opening at 4:30 and the concert not ending until around 11, there are a few things you are going to want to make sure that you have. The most important thing is comfortable shoes. If you want to stand and dance for all of Swift’s set, high heeled boots may not be the best option. Comfortable shoes like Crocs or sneakers are a better option. Many of the concerts take place during the summer, so bringing things like sunscreen and sunglasses are important as well. Another essential is having a portable charger. There is not a single moment of this concert you want to miss, and capturing videos and pictures will help you remember this amazing moment. Also, you do not want to be stranded after the concert with no phone, so having a portable charger is an essential. Many stadiums are cashless as well, so make sure that you bring a credit or debit card with you.
Merchandise: What’s the point of going to a Taylor Swift concert if you can’t show everyone that you went? At the stadium there are multiple places to get both Taylor Swift merchandise, and merchandise for the openers of the show. Merchandise trucks are just outside the stadium open hours before the show, and sometimes in the days leading up to the concert. If you are planning to get your merchandise from here, prepare to line up early and wait in line. Some fans have reported waiting in line for upwards of eight hours to buy merchandise. There are other options, like stands inside the stadium with merchandise. While those may have shorter lines, they also have less merchandise so they sell out of things quicker. Some tips for buying merchandise are getting there as early as possible, or going during off peak times, like during a break in Swift’s set. Once you get your merchandise, some tips for caring for it are ironing the design before washing to avoid the design washing away, washing it on a delicate cycle, and air drying it instead of putting it in the dryer.
Costumes: Just as Swift dresses up in costumes to perform for us, her fans have a tradition of dressing up in costumes that reflect either past costumes that Swift has worn, or that represent a certain era of Swift’s career. Some examples of costumes based on eras are wearing pastels and glitter to reflect her Lover era. Other options include dressing up in a past costume that Swift has worn, or dressing up as a song lyric. An example of dressing up as a lyric could be dressing up as a key-lime green dog from the line “And in a feud with her neighbor, she stole his dog and dyed it key-lime green,” from the song “The Last Great American Dynasty.” No matter what you decide, have fun! Costumes are a way that fans express themselves and they add to the overall atmosphere of the concert.
Light-Up Bracelets: One way that Swift ensures every fan is immersed in the concert experience is through light up bracelets. The bracelets allow Swift to see every fan in the stadium, and interact with them through these bracelets. When you are at the show, the bracelets sync up with the stadium and change color based on the era. There are also light effects with the bracelets such as a heart created in the audience during the song “Lover”, and a rainbow wave during the song “You Need To Calm Down.” A pro tip is saving the pull-tab that activates your bracelet to make it last longer than just the concert. The bracelets are the primary way that Swift interacts with the audience. Swift does not read signs in the audience, so bringing one can risk the chance of annoying your seat-mates.
Surprise Songs: To make each show unique, Swift performs two acoustic surprise songs. She performs them after her 1989 set, playing one song on guitar and one on piano. Swift has said that she will not repeat songs unless she messes up, or if they are on her newest album, “Midnights.” Currently, Swift has made errors in two songs, the first being the lyrics in the bridge of “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” and the surprise song “Speak Now.”
Fan Chants: Taylor Swift has created somewhat of a cult following over the past decade and a half. During the show, there are several songs with chants that fans shout back to her. The first one during the show is during the song “You Belong with Me.” After the line “I’m the one who made you laugh when you know you're about to cry,” everyone claps twice. The next one in the show is during the song “Delicate.” After the line, “but you can make me drink,” fans shout “one, two, three, let’s go b*tch” as Swift counts down. In the song “Bad Blood” featuring Kendrick Lamar, Swift sings the line “If you live like that, you live with ghosts,” and then fans sing Lamar’s part, “You forgive you forget but you never let it go.” The final chant at the time of this writing comes after Taylor sings “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism like some kind of congressman?” in the song “Anti-Hero.” Fans then shout “Taylor you’ll be fine.”
Fan Project: Taylor Swift fans have started a fan project at all of her concerts. The project is based on the song lyric, “So make the friendship bracelet, take the moment and taste it,” that Swift sings in her song “Your On Your Own, Kid.” Fans are making Taylor Swift themed friendship bracelets and trading with others at the show. This is a fun opportunity for fans to enjoy the concert and meet other “Swifties.”
The main takeaway from this guide is that if you are going to this tour, have fun! This is the concert of a lifetime and Taylor Swift puts on an amazing show every time. Enjoy!
“Hold on to the memories they will hold on to you.”
-Taylor Swift