After 150 shows spanning 5 continents, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is finally coming to an end. The tour sold an estimated 4.3 million tickets and will go down in history as one of the most successful ever.
The Eras tour (three hours, fifteen minutes), is a collection of Taylor Swift’s different albums spanning her 17 years of music, with about 45 songs a concert. Each album section features a new stage image, a new costume, and even microphones matching the album’s style. For example, the album Reputation starts with a 3D snake surrounding the stage, Taylor in a snake body suit, with a matching black and red microphone. By doing this, she ensures fans will not be bored no matter the song or genre.
The Eras Tour is the first of its kind to surpass the billion-dollar mark. Making around 13 million dollars a performance, this is the highest-grossing concert of all time. In addition, according to Pollstar, in the first 60 Eras tours, attendees spent $40 per person on merchandise, making her revenue over $240.8 million. From the bracelets to the junior jewel t-shirts, Swiftie fans definitely went all out for this concert.
Before singing “All Too Well” during her 100th show, she admitted that it was the first time she accepted the tour was coming to an end. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she said, “That feels like so far away from now. But then again, it feels like I just did my first show on this tour, because you guys have made this so much fun for us.” I loved seeing how the fans reacted to the tour, whether they were in person, or at the movie theater, the energy was always there.”
While I did not get to see the tour in person, I saw the film more than once. However, the idea of recording concerts to play back as feature films is not new. Beyonce, BTS, and other big-name stars quickly adopted the concept within a year of the movie’s premiere. Swift’s movie reached over $180 million in the United States at the box office, making it the highest-grossing movie concert of all time, surpassing Michael Jackson’s Bad World Tour.
After Swift announced her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, during the 66th Grammy Awards, she expanded her setlist by seven songs when the tour went on to Paris. It was the first time she lengthened her concerts, enticing fans to purchase international tickets.
While the tour is ending, the legacy will live on forever, and so will the footage on Disney+. Even though I consider myself a Swiftie, I think anyone can enjoy the movie without knowing the songs or stories behind them. So, next time you have three and a half hours to spare, consider seeing one of the best concerts of all time in the comfort of your own home.