One of the most prominent figures in contemporary pop music, Taylor Swift, will conclude her largest and longest tour in a few weeks. The Eras Tour reached 152 cities in five different continents, lasting for almost two years. It showcased music spanning across her entire career, and all 11 of her studio albums. Because Swift has such a large discography, each show was over three hours long in order to cover every era! The tour is truly a groundbreaking feat that left a significant mark on her legacy as an artist, and it raised the bar for live concert performances to a staggering height.Â
The Eras tour was not your typical concert. Each era had its own distinct outfit and vibe, creating an immersive experience of 11 separate shows in one night. In addition to this, Swift performed two surprise songs during each show—one on an acoustic guitar and one on piano. Because the tour encompassed such a wide range of her music, it also attracted a wide range of fans. People of all ages, and lovers of both her old and new music, were eager to claim tickets. Despite Swift adding extra dates in an attempt to accommodate the high demand, tickets were notoriously hard to acquire. Fans referred to the experience as “The Great Ticketmaster War”, coining the term based on her track “The Great War” from the album Midnights (3am Edition).Â
The consequences of so many fans seeking tickets transcended the music industry; legal criticism of the Ticketmaster monopoly, anti-scalping laws, and ticket price regulations emerged as a result of the demand. In addition to social and legal impacts, the concert itself had record-breaking impacts on the economy. It was the highest-grossing tour in music history, surpassing a revenue of $1 billion USD. It bolstered the tourism industry, the flight industry, the hotel industry, and boosted the U.S. economy significantly.Â
The Eras tour also had a profound presence online, dominating social media and news outlets. Fans, also known as “Swifties”, gathered in large numbers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to post their bedazzled outfits that aligned with certain eras, songs, and niche Taylor Swift references. Fans also posted friendship bracelets that they traded during shows—a trend inspired by the lyric “So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it” from the song “You’re On Your Own, Kid”.Â
Swift’s presence onstage and online gave her the platform to not only share her music, but to share an important message to women and girls all over the globe. She demonstrated that women are capable of achieving things that seem difficult, or even impossible. She showed perseverance in the face of physical and mental obstacles and public backlash, and put on the show of the century. She also proved to the world that there is no age limit to being a pop star. She was 32 years old during the tour, which is older than most major celebrities in their “prime”. Ultimately, The Eras Tour was an immense success for Taylor Swift, highlighting her talent as both a songwriter and a performer. One could say that the tour went “All Too Well” for her.