The End of An Era: A Celebration of Taylor Swift and The Eras Tour
Photos taken by Megan Murayama from Seattle Night 2 and Toronto Night 6; All photos taken on point and shoot from the crowd.
On December 8th, 2024, Taylor Swift took to the stage in front of 60,000 people at Vancouver’s BC Place for the final show of the momentous, historic, Eras Tour. Spanning almost two years, 51 cities, and 4 continents, The Eras Tour has taken the world by storm, becoming the highest grossing tour of all time with over 10 million attendees across the whole tour.
Across the tour I’ve been lucky enough to go to four different dates (two in Seattle, and two in Toronto), and I can say without a doubt that the Eras Tour is one of the most amazing shows that I’ve ever been to. There are very few artists that can captivate an audience the way that Taylor Swift can, let alone maintain that level of energy and investment for an almost 3 hour show. Getting to attend the shows with my mom and some of my best friends and hear my favorite songs has created some of the most amazing memories that I will never forget.
The show itself is a celebration of everything that fans love, spanning nearly 18 years of Taylor’s career. Featuring everything from commercially successful singles (Like Shake It Off, We Are Never Getting Back Together, and You Belong With Me), to fan favorites (Illicit Affairs and Delicate), there really is something for everyone. With a constantly changing setlist and a highly anticipated acoustic set, no two shows are exactly the same.
On top of the mind-blowing performances from Taylor, her dancers, and her band, she also had a number of phenomenal artists opening for her. This included Paramore, Sabrina Carpenter, Phoebe Bridgers, HAIM, Girl in Red, Beabadoobee, Gracie Abrams, and Maisie Peters, just to name a few, many of whom were also guests during the main show itself (such as Phoebe Bridgers for “Nothing New” and HAIM for “No Body, No Crime”), as well as making appearances during the acoustic set (Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, etc.).
The impact of The Eras Tour has reached farther than just the shows and stadiums, but into the cities themselves. As Taylor traveled the US, Europe, Asia, South America, and Canada, every city along the way was sure to come up with ways to engage her audience (many of which travelled with her). From special landmarks, like the “Taylor Swift Way” street signs in Toronto, to renamed cities, like Swift City (Glendale, AZ) and Tayronto (Toronto, ON), it became a bit of an unintentional competition to see who could welcome Taylor and the Swifties the best. One of my favorites has been the trading of the giant inflatable friendship bracelet. Started in New Orleans, the bracelet travelled across the US and Canada during the last leg of the tour, being exchanged between the stadiums much like the trademark bracelet exchanges between fans.
Taylor opens the show by saying “after tonight, when you hear these songs out and about in the world, my dream is that you’re gonna think about tonight and the memories we make here together”, and that couldn’t be more true. I hear “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” and think of my mom clutching my arm and singing at the top of her lungs. I hear “No Body, No Crime” and think about the deafening screams when HAIM popped out for the first time during the Evermore set. I hear “Tied Together With A Smile” and think about how I just about fell to the floor when she started singing it as a surprise song. Every one of the songs that she plays on the Eras Tour is so deeply and intrinsically linked to the joy and sense of community that the tour has brought fans.
The Eras Tour has been a truly amazing spectacle, and is certainly a highlight of Taylor Swift’s (already incredible) career that will be remembered for years to come. I feel incredibly fortunate that I have been able to witness the pure passion, joy, and love that has come out of this tour - not just from the fans but from Taylor herself.