The Beginning of The Eras Tour 

Tick, tock, tick, tock. A clock starts to count down as the stadium begins to cheer for the start of the show. “It’s been a long time coming…” Her voice echoes out from the speakers as the jumbo screen begins to fill with dark clouds. A black square opens and giant flower petals being controlled by dancers walk out, one after the other, unfurl, and wave back to the audience. They gather in the middle of the diamond of the stage, and the crowd goes wild as she appears, microphone in hand, drenched in diamonds and sequins. Taylor Swift, pop star and singer-songwriter, is now a legend in the eyes of millions of people. This was the moment I knew I was witnessing history in the making.

Lets take a step back a few years previous; in March 21st of 2023, around 69,000 people filled the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The crowd was ecstatic to see the opening night of Swift’s first tour in five years. This was a big, big night… even for me, who wasn’t there. I lay in bed hundreds of miles away, stewing in my jealousy, watching a grainy live stream on Tiktok by a fan as the crowd went wild for Miss Americana. She was sparkling, shiny, and made a new impression in the eyes of her fans and the masses. As a long-time fan (since her debut album named for her) I had no idea how huge she was about to become, and I don’t think anyone else did either. In the end, according to the official Eras Tour Book, she sold out 152 stadiums, traveled to 51 cities across 5 continents, performed for 517 hours, and 10.1 million people were in attendance across the entire tour.

This is a sneak peek into the world of the Eras Tour, how it shifted pop culture, the lasting impact it had on people all over the world, and what it was like witnessing the Eras Tour firsthand.

The Phenomenon 

Out of the gate, the tour was a conquest – everyone remembers the Ticketmaster debacle, how fans fought wars with frozen screens to get tickets before Swift even hit the stage. The media attention from this initial failure became lucrative to the event. Right from the get go millions of people were invested.

However, the real spark that created the bonfire was the fan-made tradition of making friendship bracelets. In her 10th studio album “Midnights” (released shortly before the Eras Tour was announced), her song “You’re On Your Own, Kid” quickly became a fan favorite. In the last few verses, she sings, “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it, you’ve got no reason to be afraid,” and the Swifties took that message to heart. Suddenly, making bracelets with songs and lyrics on them was in! 

Then there was the sudden obsession with her song “Cruel Summer” off her sixth studio album, “Lover.” As many songs do, Cruel Summer got picked up on TikTok as a trend in June of 2023, and boom, suddenly every radio station was blasting the song. The bridge became an iconic statement of joy and excitement. “Cruel Summer” was the first full song of the setlist, and every night, Taylor Swift asked the audience the same question: “Does anyone know the lyrics to this bridge?”. Of course they did.

 Due to the popularity of the song, it became a single five years after the original album was released and is the most popular song on her Spotify with over 2 billion streams. With that single suddenly gaining traction, more eyes were drawn to the Eras Tour than ever before. 

Taylor Swift used this as an opportunity to give back wherever she could. She has a huge track record of being generous with her wealth throughout her career, but this time, she went big; with every city she visited, she donated the big bucks to the local food banks and an additional 5 million to Feeding America, a nonprofit organization that helps people with food insecurities receive aid. 

At the end of the first leg of her tour in America, she gave around 55 million in bonuses to her crew and truck drivers as a special thank you for their support. She boosted the economy wherever she went; there was nothing that was not affected. 

Lastly, the Eras Tour became a safe space for not only Swifties but anyone who wished to be a part of it. Despite the negative associations they have received from outsiders, Swifties are very passionate, kind, and loving fans. They love loudly, just like Taylor herself. Her fanbase practically tripled, and new Swifties were embraced warmly by the older fans.

It’s easy to find a friend in the crowd at the Eras Tour; it is easy to foster a group of new best friends in the merch line because the community is built off of the principles of Swift’s music. I witnessed the power of my fellow Swifties firsthand when, on October 27th, 2024, I entered the Caesar Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, to see for myself the legendary Eras Tour.

Experiencing The Eras Tour Firsthand

I was in denial when my mother told me my stepdad had paid for the tickets. I could not believe that he spent that much on tickets. I couldn’t believe that I was actually going to see my idol live, in person, in a stadium. I grew up with Taylor Swift; I had all her CDs, she inspired me to start writing stories and poetry, and her music got me through every heartbreak in my life. To have this opportunity was once in a lifetime. When I say that I began making friendship bracelets that week, best believe I was ready and prepared to start preparations! I planned my outfit for weeks (if you are curious, I dressed after the album evermore and you would’ve thought I was studying for a test the way I was listening to her entire discography, ready for whatever surprise song she was gonna throw at me.

I counted down the days until the show—the last night before the show, I couldn’t sleep; I was so excited. We woke up in a hotel about an hour away from New Orleans. We got breakfast and made the drive to the famous Bourbon Street, which was full of women and girls in sparkly dresses, cowboy boots, and big jewelry. There was Taylor Swift karaoke, Taylor Swift flags being flown, and car windows were exclaiming ‘Eras Tour 2024, N.O.L.A.’ Friendship bracelets were being traded, and there were smiles all around. It was as though the city had been hit by a Swiftie bomb! My mom and I had on our Taylor Swift t-shirts, so we fit right in with the crowd. We got to the stadium, got some merch, and were let into the stadium. Seeing the stage and the overhead lights on is when it finally hit me that I was at the Eras Tour. 

I didn’t want to miss a moment, so I opted to not take too many videos or pictures; my mom did that for me throughout the show. 

The lights went off, the opening act left the stage, and finally, it was time for the main event. I have a video of me reacting to her coming out on stage. Safe to say I was losing my damn mind, and I have that on video! 

Screaming the bridge of “Cruel Summer” was a dream come true. I had spent all summer screeching this song in my car—to be with 65,000 other Swifties who were singing along with Taylor herself was a core memory in the making. 

With every era that came and went, I screamed, danced, and cried, my heart feeling so unbelievably full. Hearing “Love Story” brought back childhood memories of singing with my uncle in the car. ‘Enchanted’ reminded me of learning how to ride my bike. “Style” reminded me of running the track in school. Every song moved through me like a fierce wind; I was taken away by the music. “Cardigan” saved my life amidst a mental breakdown, “marjorie” helped me get through my grandmother’s death, and “Anti-Hero” got me through a friendship breakup. 

By the end of the concert, I was emotionally spent, yet healed. To see the songs of my life be performed live was to come full circle. Like all good things, it came to an end. The last song faded from the speakers, and Taylor Swift descended from the stage, waving goodbye. I left the stadium so full of love.

“I Had The Time of My Life with You” 

Taylor Swift herself has claimed many, many times that the Eras Tour was “the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Nearly every night, she has exclaimed her gratitude, and her fans returned that love. On the outside looking in, the Eras Tour almost seemed too big, too spectacular. She was all over the radio, she was all over social media, hundreds of news articles were being written and published a week, and she was just so huge. Critics and skeptics tried to tear her down but would only be drowned out by the adoration for Taylor Swift. No one is above criticism, but as for the Eras Tour, there is very little to pick apart when it comes to flaws. It spread cheer, joy, and kindness across the world; it created countless jobs; it brought family and friends together; it made memories to last a lifetime. That is something that you cannot deny. 

The Eras Tour won the “Tour of the Century Award” at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2025, the first award of its kind. It grossed 2 billion dollars in revenue, the biggest-selling tour in history.

The question of the Era’s tour success is easily answered by Taylor Swift’s own words. Regarding the tour, she said, “I think about that tour constantly. I’m so proud of it. And the only reason I was able to take on those challenges, among others, the ambition of the production, the length of the show, the amount of shows, all the different countries we played in, that’s all because of the fans. You made the songs for the last couple decades into what they became so that we could do a three and a half hour setlist. You had the passion and the generosity to care about traveling to see us on tour in all these places all over the world. It blows my mind. I’m never going to stop being grateful for it, and I appreciate this more than you know.”

I still look back on that magical night, and I am so thankful to have gone and witnessed a piece of music history happening right before my eyes.