Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is already a touring phenomenon!

Over the weekend was the first show of Taylor Swift’s long-awaited tour, The Eras Tour, her first tour since 2018. The sold-out opening night taking place at the 70,000-capacity State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (temporarily renamed to Swift City, in the singer’s honour) left fans overwhelmingly pleased.

A major concern from Taylor’s booming fanbase was how the artist would be able to cover 4 albums worth of songs never toured or performed live, in one single night. But “pop’s hardest-working star” significantly raised the bar; by crafting a 3 hour 15-minute show, comfortably fitting in 44 songs in total, from all her previous eras. 

Not without some surprising choices, most fans seemed to be content with the selection of some of their favourite songs performed live for the first time. While songs from all albums were revisited, there was a noticeable absence of songs from Speak Now (2010), Taylor’s 4th studio album, from which she only played one song. 13 years after its release, Enchanted, performed in a sparkling ball gown, has captured TikTok users’ attention in the past few months, starting a trend that has over 500,000 posts on the platform.

All-time fan-favorites Blank Space, Style, and Look What You Made Me Do rightfully claimed their place in the extensive setlist, and some long-awaited live debuts like Cruel Summer, Champagne Problems, and unexpected opener Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince left fans feeling equally delighted and still craving more. 

From leaping off the stage, diving into a visual pool that then transports Taylor from middle-stage back to the main stage with the help of the digital screens on the floor, to more than 15 outfit changes, the show is nothing short of a spectacle. 

To celebrate Taylor’s big night, friends such as Alana Haim, Laura Dern and Emma Stone, as well as Taylor’s parents were sighted in the special guest area singing along and partying with the same excitement as hard-core ‘swifties’ in the audience.

The volume of music performed combined with the massive stage area and catwalk has left some of the stadium-tour attendees wondering about the singer’s ability to sustain her zero show-cancellation track record. With an upcoming whopping 51 more shows to come in North America alone, the pop titan’s endurance and artistic stamina are sure to be challenged. Based on what Swift has shown the crowds last night, as well as the millions of online spectators across social media, she is ready to once again prove that her performance prowess is no accident, reflected in the skyrocketing ticket sales for upcoming shows.

Support and openers GAYLE and Paramore have both been praised for their energy and have been warmly welcomed by adoring fans preparing to see their favourite singer live for the first time in years. 

The Eras Tour is set to continue across North America until at least August 2023.