The culmination of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which spans nearly two years and features over 150 shows on five continents, is now approaching. Capturing the impact of Swift’s decision to perform a 3 ½-hour concert that showcases 44 songs from 10 distinct “eras” of her career is no easy task.
This remarkable journey began in March 2023 and will conclude on Sunday in Vancouver, Canada. The tour not only shattered attendance and sales records but also triggered an economic surge significant enough to catch the attention of the Federal Reserve.
For countless attendees and millions of fans watching livestreams from home, the tour has become a source of joy, allowing them to celebrate both Swift’s extensive music career and the shared experiences they’ve had with her over the years.
Fans turn hardships into harmony with heartfelt tributes and resilience
“This special designated time allows us to come together, discuss the show, and enjoy each other’s company,” remarked Tess Bohne, a stay-at-home mom turned content creator focused on livestreaming Swift’s concerts — whether by attending in person or collaborating with others to feature their streams. “For some, it serves as therapy.”
Bohne, who has earned the nickname “livestream queen” among the Swiftie community, often engages with fans hosting parties to watch the Eras concert live with friends. Many attendees have forged lasting friendships while bonding over their enthusiasm for the show from afar.
Swift is renowned for leaving Easter eggs for her fans to discover, a playful aspect that gained traction during the tour as devoted fans began analyzing the meanings behind her outfits, surprise songs, and subtle lyric changes.
The excitement surrounding these details has led to the creation of multiple mobile apps for fans to track and guess the various changes, including a game offering prizes for correctly predicting show specifics, like the color of the guitar Swift uses for “Lover.”
“Think of your favorite sports team,” Bohne said. “They still exist, but they won’t play any games for a while. That absence can leave a void for some fans.” While performing at her 100th Eras show in June in Liverpool, Swift expressed her struggle with the tour’s imminent conclusion.
“For the first time, I’ve acknowledged that this tour will end in December,” she stated, emphasizing that “this tour has truly become my entire life.” In Toronto last month, she briefly broke down while contemplating the end of the tour. Swift’s Eras Tour commenced in Glendale, Arizona, kicking off a series of sold-out stadium performances across the U.S., and later extending to South America, Asia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
By the end of 2023, it became the first tour to gross over $1 billion, with hundreds of millions of dollars spent on merchandise. According to concert trade publication Pollstar, she is expected to generate over $2 billion by the time the tour concludes on December 8.
During the tour, Swift was recognized as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, named Apple Music’s artist of the year, and declared Spotify’s most-streamed artist globally for 2023. Additionally, she released a box office-topping concert film and boosted NFL viewership after beginning a relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Toward the tour’s conclusion, she also launched a coffee table book.
“I think having someone like Taylor Swift provides a much-needed distraction, inspiration, and hope during these times,” said Ralph Jaccodine, an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music and a former concert promoter who has worked with Bruce Springsteen and others. “She’s come a long way, advocating for artist rights, women’s rights, and equality. Her relentless work ethic is commendable.”
The term “era” has gained widespread popularity, with fans and casual observers using it to describe various phases in life — are you in your “villain era” or perhaps a “healing era”? “This tour truly solidified her status as a legend,” commented Kayla Wong, an influencer who operates the popular Swift-focused Instagram account @headfirstfearless.
The Eras Tour’s economic and cultural impact resonates worldwide
“Regardless of personal taste in her music or opinions on her talent, the numbers speak volumes. The tour broke numerous records and became a global phenomenon for an extended period, establishing an undeniable legacy.”
Nevertheless, the tour encountered tragic incidents as well. In Brazil last year, a 23-year-old concertgoer named Ana Clara Benevides tragically passed away from heat exhaustion. In July, British police charged a 17-year-old with murder following a stabbing incident during a Taylor Swift-themed summer dance and yoga class that resulted in the deaths of three young girls. Reports indicated that Swift met with some of the survivors backstage in London.
In August, Swift’s three concerts in Vienna were canceled due to arrests related to an alleged attack plot at the event. Tens of thousands of fans had traveled from around the world to attend the shows. “Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating,” Swift later wrote in a statement. “The reason for the cancellations instilled a new sense of fear in me, along with a heavy guilt for all the fans who had planned to attend.”
Throughout the hardships and celebrations, Swift’s connection with her fans has only grown deeper during the tour. Following the Vienna cancellations, many fans gathered in the streets to sing her songs and place friendship bracelets — a beloved feature of the shows — on a nearby tree.
Over the past two years, the fandom has expanded, welcoming both new and returning audiences. “I feel like years ago, we were mostly similar in age and drawn to her for the same reasons,” Wong reflected on the Swiftie community. “Now, the fandom includes people of all ages, backgrounds, and diverse motivations for following her in the first place.”
