After more than one and a half years, Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” has officially come to a close with last weekend’s shows in Vancouver, Canada. From the Swifties that watched the shows in person and on grainy livestreams to Miss Americana herself, the tour has been life-defining for so many people.
The tour has set records as the highest-grossing concert tour of all time; celebrated the release of three albums, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and The Tortured Poets Department; gathered thousands of people in a crowd of friendship bracelets, elaborate costumes, and joint joy; and reclaimed girlhood and female rage in the best way.
There is no more waiting for the clock to count down to Swift’s entrance now. No more bridges of “Cruel Summer” to cross together. No more hats to give out during “22.” No more ten minutes to spare during “All Too Well.” No more “one, two, three, let’s go, b*tch” during “Delicate.” No more “Champagne Problems” applause. No more surprise songs to eagerly anticipate. No more wishing to relive the night all over again as Swift ends with “Karma.”
Looking back at all the memories I have made since “The Eras Tour” began in March 2023, it feels like an entire lifetime has passed. I’ve made so many memories, learning how to find the positives in the world around me. I’ve gained friends and lost friends, and I’ve only strengthened my bonds with those still in my life. I’ve listened to Swift’s music a couple thousand more times, taking in the lessons she taught me and feeling seen about our shared experiences reflected in her music.
One and a half years ago, I was a senior about to graduate high school. Now, I’m ending the first semester of my second year in college. The direction of my life has changed – I’m no longer pursuing my childhood dream of being a veterinarian, but instead a career in public health. My interests have evolved, and I’ve invested more of myself in different forms of writing, such as my journalistic career. Most importantly, I’ve grown into myself as a person, embracing my faults and acknowledging how I shine.
Throughout it all, “The Eras Tour” was always there as a constant, a glimpse of bliss at the end of a rough week or there in the lingering future as something to look forward to again when Swift would go on break. While I could not attend the show, it was gratifying to simply watch videos of it on Instagram or to watch low-quality livestreams while hoping for a special announcement.
The best thing the tour has brought is community. When I would be watching livestreams or trying to figure out the hints Swift would leave in some of her performances, there were others doing so alongside me. We cried together, we laughed together, and we would be completely off-kilter with our predictions together. We all built a global community where everyone could let go of their worries to just enjoy a show-stopping performance every tour night. We even made a game out of it, a secret inside joke for Swifties that tied us to each other.
“The Eras Tour” ending never seemed like it could be a possibility a year ago, yet we’ve made it all the way to December 2024. When confronted with reality, I’m left with a numbing void that life truly does move on. With the absence of such a constant, who knows what is next?
For me, I know I’ll continue onto the unknown that will bring forth new things to look forward to, whether it is a week away or months in the future. I’ll cherish “The Eras Tour” film closely and look through the photos and videos that others have shared. I’ll move forward because that is how life is, even for something as memorable and unprecedented like this tour.
As Taylor Swift sang on the last night of “The Eras Tour” in Vancouver, “It was the end of an era, but the start of an age.”
The story isn’t just hers anymore, it’s ours. So reread the manuscript from time to time – remember all that we felt during the tour as the new romantics and all that we learned while away from it to find our place in this world. As we leave this era behind and go into the new year, hold on to the memories because they will hold onto you.
Goodbye, “The Eras Tour.” You were more than just a short time. Thank you for everything.