MadisonShaffar

“It’s been a long time coming….”

The words every Swiftie dies to hear when Taylor Swift enters the stage at the beginning of each show of her long-anticipated “Eras Tour.”

On Aug. 9, Swift ended the first U.S. leg of her Eras Tour in Los Angeles, California. Swift performed six sold out shows at the SoFi Stadium, closing out her concerts in the U.S. since the tour began on March 17 in Glendale, Arizona.

This tour was a special one for Swift as she had not toured for five years. This left a lot of music for her to cover and a lot of fans who had been dying to see her perform. 

So when Swift announced she would be back on the road again, excitement ran high for Swifties, or fans, all over the country and world. Ticketmaster crashed on Nov. 18 when tickets went on sale because of how many people were trying to purchase tickets. After that disaster, ticket prices soared with resale cost and it became nearly impossible for fans to find reasonably priced tickets after the original sale.

However, for the Swifties who did manage to secure tickets to the shows, that was just the beginning of their preparations.

Many Marian girls got to experience the Eras Tour in various cities. Junior Harper Hogan was surprised with tickets from her grandpa for the opening night in Glendale. She “had no idea what to expect”, but it ended up being an extremely  special experience. Sophomore Lucy Mendenhall bought resale tickets online for the fifth night in LA; the tickets “were so expensive, but it was worth it,” she said.

Fans searched to find the best outfit and costume ideas. Whether they went dressed according to a specific album era, in a music video costume, or to go along with song lyrics, the outfits did not disappoint. Many people even made their own costumes to fit with their ideas.

Swifties also decided to create a new tradition for the tour: trading friendship bracelets. After hearing the line “make the friendship bracelets” in Swift’s song “You’re on Your Own, Kid,” fans decided to come together and trade bracelets with song titles, lyrics, and inside jokes on them. This brought people together as they were able to have conversations and connect with whoever they met around them at each show.

Some lucky fans were even able to trade with the famous guests in the VIP floor tent. These guests included actors and musicians such as Taylor Lautner and Selena Gomez, as well as opening acts like Phoebe Bridgers and Gracie Abrams. Others even got to meet Swift’s parents who attended every show. 

Freshman Addison Anderson is one of the lucky ones who was able to meet Swift’s mom, Andrea. “I had given her a bracelet and she said ‘thank you’ then kept walking…it was a very fast interaction,” Anderson said.

 Many dedicated Swifties decided to wait in long lines for the merchandise trucks early in the mornings and before the shows. Hogan “had to wait in line for about an hour and a half but it was worth it.”

Many fans who were unable to secure tickets decided to start another tradition of tailgating in the parking lots during the shows. Even though they could not see Swift on the stage, they could still hear her and sing along with fellow fans. Others who could not make it to the stadiums watched the shows over livestreams on TikTok and Instagram. 

 A big craze came from seeing which surprise songs Swift would play each night. Every show, she chose two songs to sing that were not on the set list. This helped her to make each show a little different from the rest, and allowed her to play more songs out of her large discography.

From taking home the fallen confetti, to saving their light-up bracelets as keepsakes, every attendee at the Eras Tour was able to have a memorable and special experience, no matter where their seat was, or how much their ticket cost.

All of these new traditions created something larger than a show. They are what made the Eras Tour not just a concert, but a way for Taylor Swift fans to come together to share their love for the artist throughout each era of her career. 

“It was unlike any other concert I’ve been to because everyone was just so nice and happy…the atmosphere was amazing,” Mendenhall said.

Even if you are not a fan of Swift or her music, it is no lie that her fans are dedicated to creating a special experience for everyone who sees her in concert.