The Eras Tour: Revisiting Taylor Swift’s World-class Phenomenon
It was rare, we were there, we remember #Tayronto “All Too Well”…
Mega-pop sensation Taylor Swift officially touched down in Toronto, Canada, on November 14, bringing the magic of her critically acclaimed Eras Tour up north and enchanting crowds for six sold-out nights at the Rogers Centre stadium — the first tour in history to achieve this monumental feat.
Once The Eras Tour completes its final leg and the curtain is drawn for the final time in Vancouver, Swift will have performed 149 sold-out shows in more than 50 huge venues worldwide, accompanied by her entourage of dancers, musicians, family and friends.
For nearly two years since the tour’s début back in March of 2023, Swift has tantalized audiences with incredible vocals, unmatched set design, monumental stage production, perfectly choreographed dance sets and wonderfully unique mashups of beloved numbers selected from her catalogue of 11 studio albums — not to mention the additional four rerecorded albums that include original “vault” tracks.
The magic of The Eras Tour is manifested in each city it visits. Prior to Swift’s arrival in Toronto, city officials began preparations for the 50,000-plus fans who would be making their way to the downtown core each night. Rogers Communications, owner of the hosting stadium, took part alongside corporate sponsors like RBC in a mass rollout of promotional banners across subway stations, billboards, social media and many other means of advertising to promote the Midnights singer’s arrival.
Rogers itself sponsored the renaming of 22 ceremonial street signs perimetering the stadium, including dubbing the beloved Blue Jays Way with the honourary title of “Taylor Swift Way.” Swift shared her gratitude in an opening speech, saying, “We have taken The Eras Tour all over the world in 2024, but there was one place we knew we had to save the best for last — of course, by that I mean the beautiful, generous fans in Toronto!” The Lover singer added, “You’ve treated us so beautifully and so welcoming as you always have been. We are so happy to be back in Canada!” At the end of November the street signs will be donated to Daily Bread Food Bank and put up for auction. Rogers has pledged to match the funds raised up to $113,000 — a nod to Swift’s lucky number 13.
Photo Courtesy Of TAS Rights Management.
With her set ranging from her sophomore eras like Fearless to sister lockdown albums Folklore and Evermore and even including the newly released The Tortured Poets Department, Swift was completely in control of her material. She acknowledged this, saying, “I’m having more fun on this tour than I’ve had in my entire life, so much so that we’ve added another era!” Following her trot across Europe this summer, she adjusted the remaining shows across the United States and Canada to include seven TTPD songs to the incredible three-hour, 44-track set list.
The show itself is a world-class performance, kicking off with opener Gracie Abrams, now a Grammy-nominated artist for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with her track “Us (featuring Taylor Swift).” But from the moment Swift pops out from under the stage to perform “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” she effortlessly commands the attention of thousands with a stage presence so candid it feels almost like an intimate gathering. Her sheer talent and infectious persona drive applause lasting upwards of five minutes from her audiences, proving the rave-worthy rep The Eras Tour has made for itself.
Swifties have created a culture around the tour, starting traditions and sharing memorable moments throughout the duration of the show, from trading lyric-inspired friendship bracelets to fashioning replicas of the singer’s stage outfits, from livestreams broadcast worldwide by fans in attendance to hosting stadiums joining in the fun and trading one of the larger-than-life friendship bracelets between Swift’s final tour stops.
The Eras Tour closes on December 8, 2024, in Vancouver. From someone who has now experienced Swift’s masterclass in performing twice, I can confidently applaud her with utmost respect and praise: what she manages to pull off flawlessly each night is otherworldly and in a category of excellence that is all its own. The Eras Tour will undoubtedly solidify Swift in the history books for generations to come. Billboard has officially named her the number 2 pop artist of the 21st century in recognition of her 14 Grammy Awards, 12 No. 1s on the Hot 100 chart, and 14 No. 1s on the Hot 200 chart.
