I first became a Swiftie when I heard “22” on the radio in my nannie’s car at age six. It was the perfect song to eat Go-Gurts to while dancing. Since then, a lot of time has passed, but my love for Taylor’s music has not. During the pandemic, Taylor (yes, we’re on a first-name basis) released the albums Folklore and Evermore, which was comforting during the uncertainty of 2020 and 2021. When Taylor announced her Eras Tour, the millions of Swifties around the nation pounced at the opportunity of seeing their favorite artist live, resulting in Ticketmaster crashing and getting sued for inflating prices. Luckily, my uncle in Arizona was able to score tickets for me and my cousins to the opening night concert in Glendale, which was temporarily renamed Swift City to honor Taylor. Keep reading for tips for the concert, more about the setlist, and Taylor’s stunning outfits.
During her first show in five years, Taylor sung 44 songs with unique choreography and light features in a little over three hours. Taylor Swift concerts are known for the light-up wristbands that make the stadium glow with different colors that match each song. For “Lover,” wristbands lit up to create pink hearts, while for “Bejeweled,” the whole stadium glittered with rainbow colors. Swift’s dancers and band were also phenomenal.
Kevin Mazur / Getty for TAS
Taylor Swift kicked off the show with her Lover album. She made her first appearance of the night by emerging out of billowing parachutes in a stunning Versace pink and silver rhinestone bodysuit. From this era, Taylor sang “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince,” “Cruel Summer,” “The Man,” “You Need to Calm Down,” “Lover,” and “The Archer.”
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Following Lover, Taylor switched to the Fearless era, wearing a dress with gold tassels by Roberto Cavalli to return to her country music roots. This outfit is very similar to the one she wore during the tour for this album. She sung “Fearless,” “You Belong With Me,” and “Love Story.” This album was a significant part of Swift’s career, as she won her first Album of the Year award at the Grammys.
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Taylor then transitioned into the evermore era, wearing a mustard yellow dress and playing a moss-covered piano. During this era, she sung “‘tis the damn season,” “willow,” “marjorie,” “champagne problems,” and “tolerate it.” Swift acknowledged that while this album isn’t a favorite among fans, it’s one of her personal favorites.
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For the iconic Reputation album, Taylor wore a sequined bodysuit made by Roberto Cavalli. She sung “…Ready For It,” “Delicate,” “Don’t Blame Me,” and “Look What You Made Me Do.” Listening to “Look What You Made Me Do” live was amazing, since her band played a rock version of it that was even better than the original.
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For the Speak Now era, Taylor wore a magical ballgown by Nicole + Felicia. She sung “Enchanted.” This was the only song from this era that she sang.
Kevin Mazur / Getty for TAS
For the Red era, Taylor wore an outfit almost identical to her “22” music video. However, this time instead of her shirt saying, “Not a lot going on,” it said, “A lot going on,” showing the transition of her life from her carefree twenties to her more serious thirties. One thing to look out for during this era is that Taylor gives her hat to someone in the audience. I’m not sure how the selection process works, though. She sung “22,” “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and “All Too Well” (the iconic ten minute version).
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Following Red, Taylor switched to her Folklore era, which was released during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and served as support for many fans who felt lonely and isolated. From this era, Taylor sang “invisible string,” which has recently been swapped out with “the 1” following Taylor’s reported breakup with her longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn, “betty,” “the last great american dynasty,” “august,” “illicit affairs,” “my tears ricochet,” and “cardigan.”
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During the 1989 era, Taylor sang the songs that made her a household name across the world in this stunning Roberto Cavalli set. She sung “Style,” “Blank Space,” “Shake It Off,” “Wildest Dreams,” and “Bad Blood.” Taylor added fire features to make “Bad Blood” even more spectacular.
Taylor Swift said that each concert would feature unique acoustic songs: “The plan, the goal, would be to play different songs every single night and never repeat one. Right? So that when you heard one on this tour, you would know it’s the only time that I was going to play it in the acoustic set, unless – caveat – unless I mess it up so badly that I have to do it over again in some other city. Send your best wishes toward me that I don’t do that.” For opening night, Taylor sung “Tim McGraw,” the first song she put out, and “mirrorball.”
Kevin Winter/ Getty for TAS
To conclude her epic three-hour show, Swift sung songs from her most recent album Midnights, wearing Oscar de la Renta. From this era, she sung “Lavender Haze,” “Anti-Hero,” “Midnight Rain,” “Vigilante Shit,” “Bejeweled,” “Mastermind,” and finally “Karma.”
The Eras Tour was one of the best experiences I’ve had. I grew up listening to Swift’s music, so listening to her singing the songs that have pretty much raised me was magical. If you scored tickets for her concert, keep reading for my biggest tips, so you can have the best concert experience.
Tips for the Eras Tour
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Aim to be there at least an hour in advance. The traffic is insane. Most sold-out stadiums that she’s playing at can host around 70,000 people.
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Eat ahead of time, if possible. The food is expensive, and the lines are extremely long.
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Carry a clear bag. At many stadiums, you won’t be able to enter with a medium or large bag that isn’t clear. Many people had to return to their cars to drop off their things.
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Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be standing (or jumping or dancing) for the whole show.
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When the concert ends, run! The traffic is also terrible after the concert, so be sure to exit the stadium as soon as possible to have a hassle-free exit. Again, there are 70,000 people (or more!) trying to leave the stadium at the same time.
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If you see a suspicious cleaning cart, Taylor Swift has been reported to use cleaning carts to get to the stage without being seen.
