Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour Is a Celebration of Girlhood, Escapism, and Connection Through Her Music

Written by: Mikaila Storrs

Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management

Capturing the magic of The Eras Tour is no easy feat, but I’ll try. From the moment you enter the stadium and put on your light-up bracelet, you feel a rush of joy shared with thousands of fans around you. Over two years, The Eras Tour has grown into a cultural phenomenon, from exchanging friendship bracelets to massive bracelet swaps between cities like New Orleans and Indianapolis.

Taylor Swift has created a world for fans to escape into—a three-and-a-half-hour journey through the soundtrack of their lives. For longtime fans, it’s a powerful, memory-filled experience that goes beyond a concert to connect hearts and create lasting memories.

Taylor Swift opens the show, shimmering with excitement, and welcomes fans to the Lover era, aiming to leave them with songs that resonate as lasting memories. She performs “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” “Cruel Summer,” “The Man,” “You Need to Calm Down,” and “Lover,” each embodying love, resilience, and empowerment—the essence of the album.

Next, we get to travel back to high school with Taylor—or, for me, it feels like a trip to elementary school—as we sing along to our favorite tracks from Fearless. Standout moments from this era include Taylor’s iconic spins and hand heart during “Fearless,” as well as her joyful dancing with longtime bandmates Paul and Amos. For many longtime fans, this era evokes a wave of nostalgia, and the thoughtful details she includes make it all the more special.

Taylor perfectly captures the magic of the Red Tour, taking us on an emotional ride of feeling happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time. She rekindles nostalgia by gifting the “22” hat to a young fan, just like in 2012, and finally delivers the long-awaited 10-minute “All Too Well.” With playful nods to her iconic looks, she lights up the stage with “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and the epic “All Too Well,” making us feel like we’re back in 2012 all over again.

Though it’s brief, featuring just one song on the setlist, the Speak Now era perfectly captures the spirit of the album—even down to that gown shaped like a pastry! When “Enchanted” is performed live, it always evokes a magical atmosphere; this time was no exception.

Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management

You might think you're ready, but nothing can truly prepare you for the Reputation era. Taylor struts down the catwalk to “...Ready For It?” in her stunning new black and gold bodysuit, radiating confidence. We continue the iconic 123 LGB chant during “Delicate” (if you know, you know) and throw a metaphorical middle finger with her incredible mashup of “Don’t Blame Me,” where she effortlessly hits those soaring high notes, combined with “Look What You Made Me Do.” As she performs, we can see the stolen albums locked in glass boxes, waiting to be freed as Taylor’s Versions—only two remain Taylor Swift and Reputation.

We then enter the Folklmore era, a dreamscape merging Taylor’s two pandemic albums. This era transports us from reality into a woodsy fairytale, where every emotion—heartbreak in “Betty,” rage in “my tears ricochet” and “illicit affairs”—feels vivid and alive. The pinnacle comes as Taylor delivers a stunning rendition of “champagne problems” on the piano, followed by a four-minute standing ovation, with fans at Lucas Oil Stadium stomping so powerfully that the walls seem to tremble.

Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management

Finally, we’re transported back to 2014 to relive some of Taylor’s most iconic hits. The 1989 era, a fan favorite, comes to life with subtle nods to its original tour, like Taylor swinging a golf club during “Blank Space” and the crowd chanting “Indy” just as they did on the 1989 World Tour. This era is pure joy, with the whole stadium singing along to “Style,” “Blank Space,” “Shake It Off,” “Wildest Dreams,” and “Bad Blood”—moments that make the tour feel more alive than ever.

Originally, we would’ve been moving on to the acoustic set with surprise songs, but after releasing her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor had to rearrange the setlist to include one of her most iconic eras. Sitting at the end of the catwalk, I was lucky to see her rise from the stage to perform “But Daddy I Love Him”—my favorite song on the album. I’m pretty sure I lost my voice singing along! This era feels so vividly defined as Taylor captures the highs of young love with “But Daddy I Love Him” and “So High School.” Then, she channels full female rage with “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” followed by the heartbreak and confusion of “Down Bad” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” Finally, Taylor picks herself up and proves her resilience with a humorous old-Hollywood-inspired skit in “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” 

Photo Credit: Lucas Oil Stadium

On the final night of the U.S. leg of The Eras Tour, Taylor treated us to an unforgettable mashup of “Cornelia Street” and “The Bolter” on guitar during the acoustic set. She knew she nailed it—every single person in the stadium was singing along at the top of their lungs. She then moved to the piano for two beloved fan favorites, “Death By a Thousand Cuts” and “The Great War,” and the crowd couldn’t have been more thrilled.

As much as we didn’t want the night to end, we finally arrived at the Midnights era. We danced through the “Lavender Haze,” laughed and cheered for “Anti-Hero,” and gasped as Taylor revealed a stunning bodysuit during “Midnight Rain.” She commanded the stage with a powerful performance of “Vigilante Shit,” embracing her sexuality, and proved herself a true “Mastermind.” We gave our last bit of energy to “Bejeweled,” and then Taylor asked if we had one more song in us as we danced into the night with “Karma.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the stadium as she took her final bow, joined by her dancers, saying farewell to the U.S. leg of The Eras Tour.

There are few places more magical than The Eras Tour, and we are incredibly fortunate to experience it. While we’re thrilled that Taylor is finally taking a well-deserved break after bringing us so much joy through concerts, live streams, re-recordings, and new albums over the past two years, we eagerly await what she’ll create next.