The Eras Tour

The Eras Tour is the ongoing sixth concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who described it as a journey through all of her " musical eras". A homage to her 10-album discography, the Eras Tour is Swift's most expansive tour yet, with 151 shows across five continents. It is the highest-grossing tour of all time and the first to surpass $1 billion in revenue.

Announced after the release of her tenth studio album, ''Midnights'' (2022), the Eras Tour is Swift's second all-stadium tour after the 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour. It commenced on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, United States, and is set to conclude on December 8, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada. The show spans over 3.5 hours, with a set list of 44 songs grouped into 10 distinct acts that portray the albums conceptually. It received rave reviews from critics, who emphasized its concept, production, aesthetics and immersive ambience, as well as Swift's musicianship, vocals, stage presence and versatility.

The tour had a wide cultural, economic and political impact, evident in the form of unprecedented demand, ticket sales, venue attendance records, and technical obstacles that led to imposition of price regulation and anti-scalping laws; elevated economies, businesses, and tourism; domination of news cycles and social media; and a range of accolades and tributes from governments and organizations. Ticketmaster, an official ticketing partner, was scrutinized for its controversially ineffective sales of the tour's tickets and an alleged monopoly in the concert industry.

Swift announced and released various works during the tour: extended editions of ''Midnights,'' the re-recorded albums ''Speak Now (Taylor's Version)'' and ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'', the music videos for "Karma" and " I Can See You", and " Cruel Summer" as a single. An accompanying concert film was released to theaters worldwide on October 13, 2023; it was met with critical acclaim and became the highest-grossing concert film in history.

Background

Taylor Swift embarked on the Reputation Stadium Tour, her fifth concert tour, in 2018, in support of her sixth studio album, ''Reputation'' (2017). It broke the record for the highest-grossing US tour in history. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced Swift to cancel what would have been her sixth tour, Lover Fest, in support of her seventh studio album, ''Lover'' (2019). In the time since, she released three studio albums, ''Folklore'' (2020), ''Evermore'' (2020), and ''Midnights'' (2022); and two re-recorded albums, ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' and ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' in 2021.

US dates

During her promotion of ''Midnights'' on talk shows such as ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' and ''The Graham Norton Show'' in October 2022, Swift hinted at an upcoming tour. On November 1, she announced on ''Good Morning America'' and through her social media accounts her sixth concert tour, the Eras Tour, describing it as "a journey through the musical eras of ercareer". She first announced 27 shows across 20 US cities, beginning in March 2023 in Glendale, Arizona, and ending in August 2023 in Inglewood, California. The opening acts were Paramore, Haim, Phoebe Bridgers, Beabadoobee, Girl in Red, Muna, Gayle, Gracie Abrams, and Owenn, each two of whom shared a tour date. Messina Touring Group, an Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) partner, served as the tour's promoter.

Popular demand led Swift to add eight shows at some US cities on November 4, and 17 more the following week, making the Eras Tour the most extensive US tour of Swift's career (52 shows), surpassing the Reputation Stadium Tour (38). ''Billboard'' described the tour's announcement as "the most chaos-inducing tour announcement of the decade." Among the tour's prospective partners were the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange company FTX; a sponsorship deal with Swift was in talks but did not materialize. On January 31, tour merchandise inspired by all of Swift's ten album "eras" were made available for purchase on her website. On August 3 2023, Swift announced a second US leg, featuring three more cities in October and November 2024, with Abrams as the opener.

International dates

On June 2, 2023, Swift announced the Latin American shows of the Eras Tour, with Sabrina Carpenter as opening act. A third show in Buenos Aires was announced on June 6, hours after the public sale commenced, due to high demand. Argentine singer Louta was announced as an additional opening act. Additional shows in Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo were announced on June 12. Shows in Asia, Australia, and Europe were announced on June 20.

Several politicians and government officials demanded the tour be brought to their country or city. Places such as Canada and Chile were expected to be part of the tour but were absent in Swift's announcement on June 20, drawing dismay and demands from fans and officials. Across Southeast Asia, fans decried the lack of shows in countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong and demanded the tour be brought to there. In particular, her return to the Philippines had been highly anticipated. Some journalists and fans opined that unlike venues in Japan and Singapore—the only Asian countries that are a part of the Eras Tour—those in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Thailand might not have the proper infrastructure that is required to host the tour. In addition, Hong Kong and mainland China reopened to foreigners much later than most other places following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, which may have affected touring plans, as per ''South China Morning Post''. In Malaysia, legal opposition to LGBT rights and the ban on pop concerts during Ramadan were cited as potential reasons.

From June to November 2023, new shows were added to the tour. In the Asia-Pacific, the total number of Singapore shows were increased to six, and two extra shows were announced in Australia. In Europe, eight shows were added initially, followed by fourteen more, then two in London; Paramore was announced as the leg's opening act. Nine shows were also announced in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver), with Abrams as the opening act.

Ticket sales

Ticket sales for the Eras Tour were handled by various ticketing agencies around the world, such as Ticketmaster, over several dates. Met with unprecedented, record-setting demand, tickets at every venue sold out in hours. Sales faced technical malfunctions in many countries; bulk purchases of tickets by scalpers and bots were reported at numerous venues, resulting in tickets being listed on resale platforms for exorbitant prices. StubHub noted that the Eras Tour ticket sales were "tracking to be the best-selling of any artist hey'veseen".

US and Canada

The first US leg was set to go on sale to the general public on November 18, 2022. Due to Swift's multi-year partnership with Capital One, cardholders had presale access, which was set to begin on November 15. Fans registered for the Ticketmaster Verified Fan program from November 1 through 9 to receive a presale code that granted exclusive access to the TaylorSwiftTix Presale on November 15; those who purchased merchandise from Swift's website received "boosts", and previous Lover Fest ticket holders also received preferred access to the presale if they registered using the same Ticketmaster account. Swift confirmed ticket prices in advance, abandoning the "platinum ticket" model; they ranged from to $449, while VIP packages ranged from $199 to $899. According to Ticketmaster, the TaylorSwiftTix Presale provided "the best opportunity to get more tickets into the hands of fans who want to attend the show" by evading bots and scalpers. It also noted that if demand from the program "exceeds supply", it is possible that "verified fans may be selected at random to participate in the presale." It later reported that it received a record 3.5 million verified fan registrations for the Eras Tour. Ahead of the second leg's presale on August 11, Ticketmaster estimated that 14 million users were vying for roughly 625,000 tickets.

Ticketmaster handled the Canadian sales as well, using the Verified Fan program. Members of the Royal Bank of Canada's Avion Rewards program received exclusive access to a separate presale. An estimated 31 million people registered for the Toronto Verified Fan presale, equal to over 77 percent of Canada's population.

Latin America

Latin American tickets went on sale in early June 2023. Presale access was granted to Banco Patagonia clients in Argentina on June 5; around one million customers were reported to have queued for the 24,000 available presale tickets for the Buenos Aires shows, and over three million during the general sale. DF Entertainment served as Swift's tour promotion partner in Argentina; CEO Diego Finkelstein called the demand "unprecedented", based on which ''Perfil'' opined that Swift could fill the stadium 36 times if she wanted to. On the day of the show, more than 1 million users tried to get last-minute seats.

In Mexico, ticket presale was handled by Ticketmaster's Verified Fan program; registrations ran from June 2 through June 7, followed by a general public on-sale. In Brazil, previous Lover Fest ticket holders and C6 Bank Mastercard holders gained access to presales on June 6 and 10, respectively. Instantly after the announcement of the shows on June 2, people camped outside Allianz Parque to purchase physical tickets to the São Paulo shows that would not go on sale to the general public until June 12. The Mastercard presale tickets sold out in 30 minutes, with over one million customers queueing. On June 12, over two million users queued for the general sale online.

Asia-Pacific

Tickets in Japan were sold by Lawson under their Loppi ticket system. Unlike other countries, all Japanese tickets were only sold as lottery tickets. The pre-sale for American Express card holders began from June 23 to 26, 2023, and pre-sale for Lawson began from June 27 to July 10. Due to the high demand, Lawson announced the second lottery pre-sale, which began from July 28 to August 3. The additional general sales were set to begin on August 22, 2023, before sold out.

In Australia, tickets were only available via Ticketek. ''Guardian Australia'' reported that the Australian leg was met with unprecedented demand as well. Within 12 hours, over one million people signed up for presale codes. American Express cardholders purchased VIP packages from June 26 to 28; the website crashed within half an hour, and all packages sold out on June 26. Following the scalping highlighted by Australian consumer organization Choice, the Victoria State Government declared the Eras Tour in Melbourne a "major event", a legal provision penalizing scalping and misleading advertisement in Victoria. Because reselling a ticket for more than 10% above the original price had already been illegal in New South Wales, the government investigated the ticket resale platform Viagogo after the scalping reports. On June 28, those registered with Frontier Touring Company gained access to a presale for which over four million users queued, setting a national record; tickets sold out within three hours. Ticketek stated it neutralized over 500 million bot purchase attempts during the presale. The public on-sale began on June 30, with tickets selling out that day. A second sale on November 10 sold out within two hours for Sydney and under one hour for Melbourne.

For the Singaporean shows, United Overseas Bank (UOB) cardholders in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam had presale access on July 5, 2023, with over one million users in the virtual queue. ''The Straits Times'' reported that Swift's fans in Singapore and other eligible Southeast Asian countries began "scrambling" to sign up for UOB cards. Around 22 million users registered for access to the 330,000 available tickets during the July 7 general sale, which happened both virtually and via Singapore Post offices; tickets sold out immediately despite website crashes. Klook, an official experience partner for the Singapore leg, sold travel packages along with tickets, which were purchased by dozens of Filipino fans and instantly sold out. Marina Bay Sands sold tickets coupled with hotel stays and other experiences.

Europe

The Lisbon shows went on sale on July 12 and 27, 2023, via See Tickets, with transferrable access codes mailed to registered users, who were limited to four tickets per code. Standard tickets for both shows sold out within 2.5 hours. Three million people queued for tickets in Germany, and 600,000 registered for the Warsaw shows. All 170,000 tickets for the three Vienna shows sold out within the first few hours, marking the largest and fastest ticket sale ever in Austria. All 95,000 Zürich tickets sold out within 30 minutes.

In France, TF1 reported the highest demand ever for a presale. Angelo Gopee, head of Live Nation France, stated, "the demand is such that many have found themselves in a virtual queue just to subscribe to the mailing list which, potentially, will open access to the ticket office. From memory, we had never seen that in France". The Paris presale opened on June 11, 2023, to over one million queued users. Ticketmaster suspended both Paris and Lyon presales within an hour after reports of login glitches; they were rescheduled to July 17 to 21.

Ticketmaster and AXS handled the United Kingdom sale. Those who had previously pre-ordered ''Midnights'' were able to access presales from July 10 to 12. London's Wembley Stadium officials described the demand for tickets as "unprecedented" and noted that waiting times were "longer than usual". Cardiff's Principality Stadium tickets were pre-sold on July 14. In addition to website malfunctions, ''Forbes'' reported widespread scalping of the tour's UK tickets, with immediate re-listing on sites like StubHub and Viagogo for extortionate prices. Viagogo responded that the demand of the tour's European leg is something the company had not seen "since the Beatles". The UK general sale took place from July 17 to 19. In Ireland, around 500,000 people registered for the Dublin shows. On account of the website crashes during the UK sale, Ticketmaster announced staggered on-sale times for Dublin on July 20, 2023; tickets sold out in minutes. ''The Irish Times'' highlighted that, unlike the UK, "the practice of reselling tickets above face value has been illegal in Ireland since 2021", so no scalping was reported.

Production

The Eras Tour was produced by Swift's in-house tour production company, Taylor Swift Touring. ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported, the tour is one of the most expensive and "technically ambitious" productions of the 21st century. Interior design magazine ''Architectural Digest'' named the tour Swift's "most ambitious" set design and praised its worldbuilding. Ethan Tobman served as creative director and production designer.

Stage and lighting

The Eras Tour staging is expansive, made of digital displays. It consists of three separate stages connected by a broad ramp: a main stage with a giant, curved widescreen; a rhombic middle stage; and a rectangular stage that along with the ramp forms a T-shape at the middle of the floor. The stages feature various visuals and effects throughout the show. The tour's concept centers on worldbuilding, featuring a diverse set of props and performing styles to convey the varying moods and aesthetics of Swift's albums.

The staging is equipped with a "hyperactive" hydraulic platform, with the main and middle stages having mobile blocks that rise from the center to form platforms of different shapes. The tour's "massive" production is heavily inspired by Broadway theatre. It was described as a 4D cognitive experience, featuring pyrotechnics, laser lights, smoke machines, fire cannons, indoor fireworks, PixMob LED bracelets, and image projection technology, such as projection mapping.

Music and performance

Designed as a tribute to Swift's discography across her 17-year career, the Eras Tour covers all styles of music from her 10 studio albums, ranging from country and pop to folk and alternative rock genres. Some media outlets dubbed the Eras Tour the "greatest hits" tour of an artist still in her commercial prime. The set list placed a somewhat greater focus on albums Swift had not previously toured, including first-ever live performances of several tracks. The concert ensemble included 15 backup dancers, choreographed by Mandy Moore, and a live band of six instrumentalists and four female backing vocalists. Moore was recommended by Swift's friend, American actress Emma Stone, who had worked with Moore on the musical film ''La La Land'' (2016). To prepare for the tour physically, Swift sang the entire set list daily while running on a treadmill, trained in dance for three months leading up to the first show, and forwent the consumption of alcohol.

Fashion

Swift's wardrobe at the Eras Tour was a subject of widespread media coverage. Her costumes and those of her accompanying dancers, as well as her microphones and guitars, paid homage to her 10 albums. They were inspired by previous performances, music videos, and public appearances, intended to align with the overarching themes and palette of the era Swift referenced in an act, showcasing the various sonic and visual aesthetics she had adopted in her career. However, crystals were an unifying fashion choice; costumes of every act were adorned with them.

Attire and accessories were mostly custom-made by fashion houses Swift had worked with before, such as Atelier Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Etro, Nicole + Felicia Couture, Zuhair Murad, Elie Saab, Ashish, Alberta Ferretti, Jessica Jones, and Oscar de la Renta. Swift wore variations of some costumes at different shows, usually paired with Christian Louboutin shoes. Swift's black fedora from " 22" was designed by Gladys Tamez. Fausto Puglisi, a designer for Roberto Cavalli, stated that he took an "artisanal approach to craftsmanship" while customizing the outfits, claiming "everything must be eye-catching" when designing for concerts. He incorporated Swarovski crystals in the costumes Swift wore during the ''Fearless'', ''1989'', and ''Reputation'' acts, which required over 170 hours of meticulous "hand-craftsmanship by skilled artisans" to make. The sequined tulle ball gown that Murad designed for the ''Speak Now'' act required "over 350 hours of atelier handwork". Ferretti used chiffon and micro-beading for the ''Folklore'' era dresses, while the ''Midnights'' Oscar de la Renta fringed bodysuit was hand-adorned with more than 5,300 beads and crystals.

''StyleCaster'' regarded the Eras Tour wardrobe as Swift's best fashion collection for a tour. ''The New York Times'' chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman considered the Eras Tour a fashion show beyond merely live music and praised Swift's "fabulous" but purposeful wardrobe choices for setting the bar high for future concerts by other artists.

Concert synopsis

An Eras Tour show is over three hours and 15 minutes long, the longest of Swift's career. It consists of 44 songs grouped into 10 acts. Each act is characterized by a specific color scheme, while transitions between acts are facilitated by on-screen interlude visuals and marked by costume changes with negligible intermissions. Swift addresses the crowd throughout the show.

The show commences with the ''Lover'' act. A clock on-screen counts down to show time as Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Own Me" (1964) plays. Surrounded by pastel-colored, fan-like tapestry, Swift emerges from the platform at mid-stage in a bodysuit and boots. She opens the show with the chorus of "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" leading into " Cruel Summer". Accompanied by dancers, Swift performs " The Man" and "You Need to Calm Down" in a sequined blazer, through a set emulating office cubicles. She then delivers the welcome note with the dollhouse from the "Lover" music video on-screen, depicting her various album eras. She plays an acoustic version of "Lover" on the guitar, followed by a stripped-down rendition of " The Archer" alone on the ramp. The second act, ''Fearless'', begins with the screen showing gold electric sparks raining down. Swift reappears in a metallic fringed dress and country boots characteristic of her early style. She performs "Fearless" on the main stage, "You Belong with Me" at mid-stage, and " Love Story" on the T-stage, all alongside her band.

The third act, '' Evermore'', adopts a forest aesthetic. Swift begins singing " 'Tis the Damn Season" in a long gown, followed by a dark theme that leads to "Willow" in a "witchy" séance; she wears a dark green cape and performs with dancers holding luminescent orange orbs. She continues with "Marjorie", then " Champagne Problems" on a moss-covered piano beneath an oak tree, concluding the act with Swift introducing her pianist Karina DePiano followed by "Tolerate It" at a dinner table reminiscent of ''Citizen Kane'' (1941). Snakes visuals and dimming lights start the ''Reputation'' act. Swift reemerges in a black-red asymmetrical catsuit with snake motifs, with female dancers wearing black-dark red gothic leotards. She delivers a high-energy performance of " ...Ready for It?", " Delicate", and " Don't Blame Me" features light beams and Swift on an elevated platform. She transitions to "Look What You Made Me Do", which features on-screen visuals of Swift from all of her eras trapped in glass boxes and dancers dressed in some of Swift's older looks. The act concludes with a snake slithering away on-screen.

The fifth act, ''Speak Now'', begins with an abstract mosaic of purple lights on the stage. Swift, in a ball gown, walks in from the screen and performs " Enchanted"; since July 7, 2023, she also performed "Long Live" with her band. The color scheme changes to match the next act, ''Red''; a dancer opens a box that plays snippets of "Red", "Everything Has Changed" or " Holy Ground", and " State of Grace". Red balloons emerge, and Swift performs " 22" wearing a version of the white T-shirt and black hat from the song's music video. Near the end of the song, she greets a fan pre-selected from the audience, giving them the hat. Swift sings "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble" with male dancers next, dressed in a red-black romper. She dons a red-black ombre coat next, and performs "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" on a guitar, backed by the band. The act concludes with artificial snow falling.

Cottagecore dominates the seventh act, ''Folklore'', introduced with a spoken-word interlude of "Seven". Onstage is a bucolic, A-frame cabin setup, similar to the one from Swift's performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards (2021), on an elevated platform with a staircase. Swift performs " Invisible String" or "The 1" on the cabin's roof, "Betty" with her band, and "The Last Great American Dynasty" with dancers dressed in period clothing. She then sings "August", which transitions to the bridge of a rock-tinged " Illicit Affairs", followed by " My Tears Ricochet" with female dancers wearing sparkly black long sleeved dresses and choreography resembling a funeral procession. Swift returns to the cabin to perform " Cardigan", ending the act with fireflies as the cabin retreats.

''1989'', the eighth act, commences with the screen showing a neon-lit city skyline. Swift, wearing a crop top and skirt, sings "Style" with dancers dressed in black-and-white outfits. Moving to mid-stage, female dancers ride neon bicycles for "Blank Space" and use blue golf clubs to smash an animated Shelby Cobra car. She follows with "Shake It Off", performed as a robust dance party; " Wildest Dreams", backed with clips of a couple in bed; and " Bad Blood", with female dancers and accentuated by intense pyrotechnics. It is followed by the acoustic set, where Swift performs two surprise songs on guitar and piano. In an optical illusion, a body of water develops around the piano and envelops the stage; Swift then dives into the stage and appears to swim underwater, along the ramp and toward the main stage.

The final act, ''Midnights'', begins with a wave from the illusion crashing against the screen; Swift wakes up from a bed and climbs a ladder into a cloud. The lower screen splits, and dancers carry out clouds as Swift reemerges in a purple faux fur coat, a glittery oversized shirt and dark blue boots to sing "Lavender Haze". She removes the coat and performs "Anti-Hero" alongside a video of herself as a creature terrorizing a city. Dancers perform with umbrellas as Swift sings " Midnight Rain" and undergoes an onstage costume change, reappearing in a rhinestone-adorned midnight blue bodysuit. She then performs a "chair dance" choreographed for "Vigilante Shit", influenced by "sultry" burlesque and the 1975 musical ''Chicago''. Swift follows with "Bejeweled", featuring moves inspired by the song's viral TikTok dance, and "Mastermind" with the entire dance crew wearing black robes. "Karma" is performed last, with Swift and dancers in tinsel-fringed jackets, closing the show with fireworks, colorful visuals, and confetti.

Critical reception

The tour received "overwhelmingly positive" reviews from music and entertainment critics, who praised both the high-end spectacle and "polished artistry" of the tour. ''Billboard'' described the Eras Tour as "the must-see blockbuster of the year". Neil McCormick of ''The Daily Telegraph,'' Keiran Southern of ''The Times,'' Adrian Horton of ''The Guardian'', Kelsey Barnes of ''The Independent,'' Ilana Kaplan of '' i,'' and Erica Campbell of ''NME'' gave the Eras Tour total five-star ratings. McCormick called the show "one of the most ambitious, spectacular, and charming stadium pop shows ever seen", lauding Swift's musicianship, vocals, and energy. Southern declared the Eras Tour "a pop genius at the top of her game". Horton praised the "rapturous" music selection, concept, "extravagant" staging, and Swift's stamina and vocals. Barnes noted the tour as "a career-defining spectacle" with acts marking the shifts in Swift's artistry, while Kaplan commended the "unparalleled" showmanship, "spicier" choreography, camp styles, and "seamless" transitions between acts. Campbell praised the storytelling aspect of the show that ties all the 10 acts together, enhanced by staging, cinematic ambience and fashion.

The versatility of the show's music, visuals, and performance art was often a point of praise in its reviews. Journalists Rebecca Lewis and Carson Mlnarik of '' Hello!'' and MTV, respectively, commended Swift's stage presence and commitment to her artistry; Lewis described Swift's alter egos during the tour as shifting from "country ingénue to pop princess and folklore witch", whereas Mlnarik affirmed that the on-screen visuals stayed true to every album's aesthetic. ''The Week'' and ''Dallas Observer'' critics agreed, highlighting the "jaw-dropping" visuals and "bedazzled" fashion. ''Billboard'' editor Jason Lipshutz underscored Swift's "powerhouse" vocals, engaging artistic personas, and skill set. Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' highlighted the tour's scale, ambition, and portrayal of all the musical pivots of Swift's career, whereas ''The Atlantic'' Spencer Kornhaber complimented the show's art direction, suspense, and the sequencing of the acts. Mikael Wood of ''Los Angeles Times'' described the show as a "masterclass in pop ambition", showcasing Swift's range. According to ''The New Yorker'' senior editor Tyler Foggatt, the Eras Tour is a product of Swift's understanding of herself, building a tour "solely devoted to the idea of a trajectory—that of a career, of a musical identity, of a life—that can be traced cleanly from one ''era'' to the next."

Critics also appreciated the tour's production value and artistic direction. Philip Cosores of ''Uproxx'' dubbed it the "most impressive stadium show ever conceived". ''Spin'' critic Jonathan Cohen admired the rich stage design, usage of "state-of-the-art" technology, and immersive experience into Swift's "increasingly accomplished musical world-building". ''Variety'' journalist Chris Willman felt that the "epic" show demonstrated that "the person who has come up with the single greatest body of pop songwriting in the 21st century is also its most popular performer". ''Pollstar'' Christina Fuoco and Andy Gensler praised the production as "stunning and tastefully rendered" and "live music at its highest spectacle". ''Rolling Stone'' Waiss David Aramesh opined that it is "a production spectacle of the highest echelon". Melinda Sheckels of ''Consequence'' praised the tour's "nuanced and interpretive" approach in depicting Swift's albums and the "sheer magnitude, artistry, and technical prowess" of the production.

Commercial performance

Boxscore

The Eras Tour broke ticket sales records worldwide. In the first day of the US presale alone, the tour sold over 2.4 million tickets, the most sold by an artist in a single day, surpassing Robbie Williams, who had sold 1.6 million tickets for his Close Encounters Tour in 2005. ''Billboard'' reported on December 15 that the Eras Tour had already grossed an estimated , and projected the US leg to finish with $591 million, surpassing the former all-time female record set by Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour ($407 million) in 2008–2009. Following the tour's launch, Swift rose to number one on ''Pollstar'' Artist Power Index chart. MetLife Stadium named her their "#1 best-selling artist" of all time after the tour's third East Rutherford show, which was the 100th concert in the stadium's history.

''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that the Eras Tour "on track to become the biggest in concert history, with the potential to gross over $1 billion"; conservative ''Pollstar'' estimates projected a $1.4 billion gross. Bloomberg News reported that the average gross per show on the US leg is $13 million. ''Variety'' claimed the tour had grossed $2 billion as of October 2023. According to ''Forbes'', the Eras Tour has grossed $780 million from 56 shows as of August 2023, making it the highest-grossing tour by a woman in history based on its first North American leg alone, surpassing Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour, and the second highest-grossing tour of all time, behind Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road. In November 2023, ''Billboard'' estimated a gross of over $900 million from the tour thus far and that the total could nearly double after the 2024 shows. Although Swift's team stated they do not intend to announce the boxscore, ''Pollstar'' reported in December 2023 an estimated gross of $1,039,263,762 from 60 shows that year, making the Eras Tour the highest-grossing concert tour ever and the first to reach the $1 billion mark.

Venue records

Music releases

Swift unveiled various musical works during the tour. On the day of the opening show, she released four songs to celebrate the tour's launch: the re-recordings of "Eyes Open" and " Safe & Sound", both originally from the 2012 soundtrack '' The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond''; a re-recording of "If This Was a Movie", one of the deluxe tracks from ''Speak Now'' (2010); and " All of the Girls You Loved Before", a previously unreleased outtake of ''Lover''.

A special CD edition of ''Midnights'', subtitled ''The Late Night Edition'', was released during the Eras Tour. It was only purchasable in-person at merchandise stands at certain shows, beginning in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 26, 2023. It exclusively contained the new bonus track " You're Losing Me", which became a "ravenously anticipated" song; ''Variety'' reported that "fans were so eager to get their hands" on the CD, causing queues at the stadium the day before the merchandise store opened.

On May 5, 2023, at the first Nashville show of the tour, Swift announced her third re-recorded album, ''Speak Now (Taylor's Version),'' and its release date as July 7, 2023. She also premiered two music videos, both of which she wrote and directed, during the tour. She premiered the videos for "Karma" featuring American rapper Ice Spice and " I Can See You" before the acoustic set at the first East Rutherford show and first Kansas City show, respectively.

On August 9, 2023, at the final Los Angeles show, Swift announced ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'' as her fourth re-recorded album, which was released on October 27, 2023, exactly nine years after the release of the original ''1989'' album. On November 3, 2023, ''Hits'' reported that a live album of the tour has been in talks.

Film

On October 13, 2023, Swift released the self-produced concert film, ''Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour'', directed by Sam Wrench, to theaters worldwide. It saw Swift, in an unprecedented move, partnering directly with the theaters to both distribute and exhibit the film instead of a major film studio. It became the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

Accolades

Impact

The Eras Tour had an impact on the music industry, entertainment and beyond. It was described as one of the most prominent cultural phenomena of the 21st century, generating a level of attention similar to the 1960s' Beatlemania. The tour elevated the economy of its stops by revitalizing local businesses and tourism, attracted large crowds of spectators outside stadiums, dominated news cycles and social media, inspired tributes from governments and organizations. Critics often described the Eras Tour as a monocultural event demonstrating Swift's impact on popular culture. The tour fueled an increase in public consumption of her discography as well. Swift's net worth, which was $740 million before the tour began, was updated to $1.1 billion after the first 57 shows of the tour; Swift became the first billionaire in history with music as the main source of income.

Controversy

US ticket sales crash

On November 15, the day of the first US presale, Ticketmaster's website crashed following what ''Variety'' called "historically unprecedented demand". Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, said they prepared for 1.5 million verified fans, but 14 million turned up; published a statement saying they had been "unprepared" to accommodate them; and cancelled any further sales, citing inability to meet demand. The fiasco was the subject of public criticism and political scrutiny. Customers and fans criticized Ticketmaster for its allegedly flawed systems and inefficient technical resolutions. US lawmakers, including attorneys general and members of Congress, took notice of the issue, which became the focus of multiple state, federal and congressional inquiries.

On December 12, 2022, Ticketmaster began notifying select fans—"identified as answho received a boost during the Verified Fan presale but did not purchase tickets"—of a second ticket-buying opportunity to purchase a maximum of two tickets per user through Ticketstoday. Ticketmaster sold the first US leg's remaining 170,000 tickets over four weeks.

Queue-jumping and water bottle ban in Brazil

Unrest was reported on June 11, 2023, outside the Brazilian venues' box offices, as scalpers attempted to cut in line, including some armed scalpers who threatened violence, until the police intervened. The agency responsible for the tour in Brazil, T4F – Time For Fun (T4F), was reported over 100 times to authorities for their inaction. On June 20, federal lawmakers in Brazil filed the "Taylor Swift Law", which would penalize scalpers with up to four years in prison and a fine of up to 100 times the value of the ticket.

On November 17, 2023, before the start of the first Rio de Janeiro show, T4F reportedly prohibited concertgoers from bringing their own water bottles inside the venue. It had reportedly been one of the hottest days in the city, with a heat index of 59.3 °C (138.74 °F), as part of a heat wave in the country. Videos posted to social media by fans showed thousands of queued concertgoers waiting for hours in the sun before entry into the stadium; Swift and her team arranged and distributed water bottles to the crowd. However, it was reported after the show that a concert attendee, Ana Clara Benevides, died while being taken to a hospital after she fainted during the first few minutes of Swift's set. Following the news, T4F attracted widespread criticism from fans and politicians. Several fans claimed that stadium organizers "refused" to provide concertgoers water; a criminal investigation was opened to investigate the incident. Benevides' cause of death was later forensically determined to be cardiac arrest caused by heat exhaustion. Swift grieved Benevides' death on social media. She postponed the show that had been scheduled for November 18 to November 20, citing "extreme temperatures".

Philanthropy

Swift donated to food bank units at every stop of the Eras Tour, as reported by the respective organizations, and exclusively employed various local businesses to fulfill her crew's daily requirements. At the conclusion of the first US leg, Swift gave "unprecedented" bonus payments totaling over $55 million to her entire touring crew, including $100,000 to each of the 50 truck drivers involved in transporting the stage setup and production equipment. She also reportedly purchased more than double the carbon credits needed to offset emissions generated by her travel throughout the tour. In October 2023, Swift donated Eras Tour tickets to the Rare Impact Fund, a charity and mental health awareness initiative by American singer Selena Gomez's cosmetic company, Rare Beauty. The auctioned tickets sold for $15,000 and were the "biggest ticket item of the event".

Set list

The following set list is from the show on March 17, 2023, in Glendale. It is not intended to represent all shows of the tour.

;Act I – ''Lover''
# "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince"
# " Cruel Summer"
# " The Man"
# "You Need to Calm Down"
# "Lover"
# " The Archer"
;Act II – ''Fearless''
#

"Fearless"
# "You Belong with Me"
# " Love Story"
;Act III – '' Evermore''
#

" Tis the Damn Season"
# "Willow"
# "Marjorie"
# " Champagne Problems"
# " Tolerate It"

;Act IV – ''Reputation''
#

" ...Ready for It?"
# " Delicate"
# " Don't Blame Me"
# "Look What You Made Me Do"
;Act V – ''Speak Now''
#

" Enchanted"
;Act VI – ''Red''
#

" 22"
# "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
# "I Knew You Were Trouble"
# "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)"
;Act VII – ''Folklore''
#

"Seven" (spoken interlude) / " Invisible String"
# "Betty"
# "The Last Great American Dynasty"
# "August"
# " Illicit Affairs"
# " My Tears Ricochet"
# " Cardigan"

;Act VIII – ''1989''
#

"Style"
# "Blank Space"
# "Shake It Off"
# " Wildest Dreams"
# " Bad Blood"
;Act IX – Acoustic set
#

Guitar surprise song
# Piano surprise song
;Act X – ''Midnights''
#

"Lavender Haze"
# "Anti-Hero"
# " Midnight Rain"
# "Vigilante Shit"
# "Bejeweled"
# "Mastermind"
# "Karma"

Alterations

* "The 1" replaced "Invisible String" starting from the Arlington shows, except at the second Nashville show, where Swift performed "Invisible String" in honor of the bench at Centennial Park dedicated to her.
* " Nothing New" was added before "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" at shows opened by Phoebe Bridgers, who performed the song with Swift.
* "Long Live" was added after "Enchanted" as part of the ''Speak Now'' act after the release of ''Speak Now (Taylor's Version)'', starting with the Kansas City shows.
* "No Body, No Crime" replaced "Tis the Damn Season" at shows opened by Haim, who performed the song with Swift.

Surprise songs

Swift performed two tracks from her discography at each show as "surprise songs" in the ninth act—the first on acoustic guitar and the second on piano.

2023

* March 17 – Glendale: " Mirrorball" and "Tim McGraw"
* March 18 – Glendale: "This Is Me Trying" and " State of Grace"
* March 24 – Las Vegas: " Our Song" and "Snow on the Beach"
* March 25 – Las Vegas: "Cowboy like Me" (with Marcus Mumford) and "White Horse"
* March 31 – Arlington: "Sad Beautiful Tragic" and "Ours"
* April 1 – Arlington: "Death by a Thousand Cuts" and " Clean"
* April 2 – Arlington: "Jump then Fall" and "The Lucky One"
* April 13 – Tampa: "Speak Now" and " Treacherous"
* April 14 – Tampa: "The Great War" (with Aaron Dessner) and "You're on Your Own, Kid"
* April 15 – Tampa: "Mad Woman" (with Dessner) and "Mean"
* April 21 – Houston: "Wonderland" and "You're Not Sorry"
* April 22 – Houston: "A Place in This World" and "Today Was a Fairytale"
* April 23 – Houston: " Begin Again" and "Cold as You"
* April 28 – Atlanta: "The Other Side of the Door" and "Coney Island"
* April 29 – Atlanta: "High Infidelity" and " Gorgeous"
* April 30 – Atlanta: "I Bet You Think About Me" and "How You Get the Girl"
* May 5 – Nashville: " Sparks Fly" and "Teardrops on My Guitar"
* May 6 – Nashville: " Out of the Woods" and " Fifteen"
* May 7 – Nashville: " Would've, Could've, Should've" (with Dessner) and "Mine"
* May 12 – Philadelphia: "Gold Rush" and "Come Back... Be Here"
* May 13 – Philadelphia: "Forever & Always" and " This Love"
* May 14 – Philadelphia: "Hey Stephen" and " The Best Day"
* May 19 – Foxborough: " Should've Said No" and " Better Man"
* May 20 – Foxborough: " Question...?" and "Invisible"
* May 21 – Foxborough: "I Think He Knows" and "Red"
* May 26 – East Rutherford: "Getaway Car" (with Jack Antonoff) and "Maroon"
* May 27 – East Rutherford: " Holy Ground" and "False God"
* May 28 – East Rutherford: " Welcome to New York" and "Clean"
* June 2 – Chicago: "I Wish You Would" and " The Lakes"
* June 3 – Chicago: "You All Over Me" (with Maren Morris) and "I Don't Wanna Live Forever"
* June 4 – Chicago: " Hits Different" and "The Moment I Knew"
* June 9 – Detroit: "Haunted" and "I Almost Do"
* June 10 – Detroit: "All You Had to Do Was Stay" and " Breathe"
* June 16 – Pittsburgh: "Mr. Perfectly Fine" and " The Last Time"
* June 17 – Pittsburgh: "Seven" (with Dessner) and " The Story of Us"
* June 23 – Minneapolis: "Paper Rings" and "If This Was a Movie"
* June 24 – Minneapolis: " Dear John" and "Daylight"
* June 30 – Cincinnati: "I'm Only Me When I'm with You" and "Evermore"
* July 1 – Cincinnati: "Ivy" (with Dessner) and " Call It What You Want"
* July 7 – Kansas City: "Never Grow Up" and " When Emma Falls in Love"
* July 8 – Kansas City: "Last Kiss" and "Dorothea"
* July 14 – Denver: "Picture to Burn" and "Timeless"
* July 15 – Denver: "Starlight" and "Back to December"
* July 22 – Seattle: "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" and "Everything Has Changed"
* July 23 – Seattle: "Message in a Bottle" and "Tied Together with a Smile"
* July 28 – Santa Clara: "Right Where You Left Me" (with Dessner) and " Castles Crumbling"
* July 29 – Santa Clara: "Stay Stay Stay" and " All of the Girls You Loved Before"
* August 3 – Los Angeles: " I Can See You" and "Maroon"
* August 4 – Los Angeles: "Our Song" and "You Are in Love"
* August 5 – Los Angeles: "Death by a Thousand Cuts" and "You're on Your Own, Kid"
* August 7 – Los Angeles: "Dress" and "Exile"
* August 8 – Los Angeles: "I Know Places" and "King of My Heart"
* August 9 – Los Angeles: "New Romantics" and "New Year's Day"
* August 24 – Mexico City: "I Forgot That You Existed" and "Sweet Nothing"
* August 25 – Mexico City: "Tell Me Why" and "Snow on the Beach"
* August 26 – Mexico City: "Cornelia Street" and "You're on Your Own, Kid"
* August 27 – Mexico City: "Afterglow" and "Maroon"
* November 9 – Buenos Aires: "The Very First Night" and "Labyrinth"
* November 11 – Buenos Aires: " Is It Over Now?" / "Out of the Woods" and " End Game"
* November 12 – Buenos Aires: "Better than Revenge" and " Slut!"
* November 17 – Rio de Janeiro: "Stay Beautiful" and "Suburban Legends"
* November 19 – Rio de Janeiro: "Dancing with Our Hands Tied" and " Bigger Than the Whole Sky"
* November 20 – Rio de Janeiro: "Me!" and "So It Goes…"
* November 24 – São Paulo: " Now That We Don't Talk" and "Innocent"
* November 25 – São Paulo: " Safe & Sound" and "Untouchable"
* November 26 – São Paulo: " Say Don't Go" and "It's Time to Go"

Notes

* At the third Tampa show and the second Pittsburgh show, Swift reversed the order of the instruments she used to perform the surprise songs, playing the first on piano with Aaron Dessner and the second on acoustic guitar.
* At the third Foxborough show, Swift performed both surprise songs on acoustic guitar due to technical difficulties with the piano caused by the previous night's rain.
* During the three East Rutherford shows, Swift brought out Ice Spice to perform "Karma" with her.
* At the second Cincinnati show, Swift performed "I Miss You, I'm Sorry" on acoustic guitar with Gracie Abrams on piano between the first and second surprise songs.

Tour dates

Personnel

Adapted from the credits of ''Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour'' concert film.
* Taylor Swift – lead vocals, guitar, piano
Band
* Max Bernstein – guitar, keyboard
* Matt Billingslea – drums
* Karina DePiano – piano
* Amos Heller – bass
* Mike Meadows – guitar, keyboard
* Paul Sidoti – guitar, backing vocals
* Jeslyn Gorman – backing vocals (except the Seattle shows and Latin American shows)
* Kamilah Marshall – backing vocals
* Melanie Nyema – backing vocals
* Eliotte Woodford – backing vocals
Dancers
* Amanda Balen – dance captain
* Taylor Banks
* Karen Chuang
* Audrey Douglass
* Tori Evans
* Tamiya Lewis
* Sam McWilliams
* Sydney Moss
* Natalie Peterson
* Jan Ravnik
* Natalie Reid
* Kameron Saunders
* Kevin Scheitzbach
* Raphael Thomas
* Whyley Yoshimura

See also

* List of highest-grossing concert tours
* List of fastest-selling concert tours
* Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the music industry
* Taylor Sheesh, a Filipino drag queen known for replicating the Eras Tour in the Philippines

Footnotes

;Cities

;Others

References

External links

The Eras Tour official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eras Tour, The
Taylor Swift concert tours

2023 concert tours
2024 concert tours
Concert tours of the United States
Concert tours of Canada
Concert tours of Mexico
Concert tours of Brazil
Concert tours of Argentina
Concert tours of Australia
Concert tours of Japan
Concert tours of Singapore
Concert tours of France
Concert tours of Sweden
Concert tours of the Netherlands
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