The highest-grossing tour in history, Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, is finally ending. After 149 shows across five continents, Swifties reflect on their concert experiences.
The tour began on March 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. It was Swift’s first tour since before the COVID-19 pandemic. She had put out four albums that had never been toured during that time period. In an effort to perform her new music and also celebrate her past albums, she came up with the idea of The Eras Tour. It would be a journey through time as she revisited all the albums so many fans fell in love with in the first place.
“What sets it apart is the fact that she’s playing what is basically her whole discography,” Serena Throneburg, who attended the Chicago night concert, said. “When you go hear other people, you’re lucky to hear a couple throwback songs, while Taylor had all the classics and some of her greatest masterpieces on the tour all at once.”
Those who hadn’t gotten the opportunity to attend past tours were able to relive those missed experiences through The Eras Tour. It served as a chance for both new and old Swifties to come together to create one of the strongest fan bases the music industry has ever seen.
“Once Taylor kind of announced her tour, and everyone started getting tickets, I just kind of felt like her fan group grew, and a lot more people started to respect her,” Callie Hugo, who attended the Cincinnati night concert, said. “More people started to understand, like, wow, she’s been here for a long time, she has all these albums, she has made history.”
Many past tour traditions found their way to The Eras Tour, such as writing a “13” on their hands or chants during specific songs, but it had its fair share of new ones as well. Perhaps the most popular was the friendship bracelet project. Many Swifties spent hours making bracelets prior to the concert so they could participate in the trading. This all stemmed from one lyric in the “You’re On Your Own, Kid” song where Swift says, “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.” Swift never explicitly told fans to make bracelets for the tour, but Swifties took the initiative to start one of the most notable Eras Tour traditions.
“It was so cool seeing everyone in their outfits, being themselves, interacting with people they had never met before, trading friendship bracelets, and everyone being excited about the same thing,” Abby Aquilina, who attended the Indianapolis night three concert, said. “It was just so surreal. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and I would go back in a heartbeat.”
It was not uncommon for Swifties to drive several hours or even fly across the country for one of the shows. This resulted in a diverse group of people from all over. Despite their geographical locations, they were quick to embrace each other and create new relationships.
“We were all together, just singing our hearts out. I was in a small section, we all took a picture together, just because we were all excited to be there together,” Madeline Kunz, who attended the Indianapolis night two and Atlanta night three concerts, said. “They were like, oh, I want to remember the girls I was around when I saw this show. Swifties are a huge community.”
While the concert was a great opportunity to connect with new people, it also served as a way to bond with existing friends and family. Several concert-goers were lucky enough to bring their sister, mom, or significant other
“I also got to go with my mom, who spent months learning the songs to be able to sing along, and my sister, who is also a big Taylor Swift fan, so that was really special for me too,” Aquilina said.
Swift was able to bring people together and transform the concert landscape. A three-hour show might’ve seemed improbable at one time, but thanks to Swift, that idea is quickly changing. Swifties who were able to attend the tour will not soon forget the memories they made and the people they met. Swift united individuals in a way not many others could ever achieve.
“It was probably the best concert I’ve ever been to. It’s a once in a lifetime experience to have an artist play all their discography in one show,” Hugo said. “So I think that’s super exciting. I just love The Eras Tour, and I’m just so sad it’s over. I really think that Taylor Swift has done a lot for people. And I love it.”
