In honor of the European leg of The Eras Tour by Taylor Swift coming up on Thursday, here are some pro tips I wish I knew before attending The Eras Tour. I was fortunate to see Taylor Swift last May (MetLife Night 1 it was rare I was there), and although the setlist may have slightly changed since then with a possible addition of The Tortured Poets Department set, these tips and tricks will make sure that this night is sparkling.
Do your research on the venue!
Because each stadium that Taylor Swift will be performing in is different based on the municipality, the date, and so on, each venue has their own set of rules that pertain to how the show will run. Some important things to know beforehand are what times doors open, also known as the time you can enter the stadium, what things as permitted inside in regards to bags, friendship bracelets, etc., and if the venue does early merchandise sales. Some of the European venues, with Friends Arena in Stockholm coming to mind, do not allow any sort of bag to be brought into the stadium, and most of the NFL and European football stadiums only allow clear bags.
Your best chances to get the merchandise you want are either right when doors open or at a pre-show merch sale.
If you want any of the popular merch items, especially the iconic blue crewneck, your best shot at getting everything you want is from getting it early - things sell out! Some stadiums might do a pre-show merch sale outside the stadium a day or two before the first night Taylor plays, sometimes even open to non-ticket holders. MetLife in particular had a whole pop-up store in the stadium open to the general public the day before the show. Some stadiums also might set limits on popular items - the blue crewneck, the grey ¼ zip, and the special edition Til Dawn CD that was released that weekend only allowed customers to purchase 2 of those. One more thing to note: some municipalities don’t have plastic bags as a result of it being banned, so be prepared to hold your merch all night unless you want an Eras Tour tote bag.
The Eras Tour is a fashion show - be prepared to dress to impress!
One of my favorite parts about The Eras tour is how fashionable everyone emulating different eras with their outfits! I dressed up as Lover for my Eras date, and my dress was bejeweled, adorned with pink pearls. A lot of people wear outfits with glitter, sequins, and fringe, but there are plenty of ways to pay tribute to an iconic Taylor look from a music video or red carpet appearance. Feel free to even embody a niche Taylor Swift reference - I’ve seen people dressed as traffic lights, dogs that are key lime green, and her NYU graduation look. If you like to DIY and have a knack for rhinestoning, plenty of people recreate iconic Eras Tour costumes, particularly the Lover and Midnights bodysuits. Dress to make the whole place shimmer!
Sidenote: For any Swifties attending her upcoming shows in Spain, I would love to see people wear Aston Martin hats. It would be amazing to see Spanish Swifties and F1 fans turn the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu into the Fernando Alonso grandstand.
Comfy shoes are a must!
Listen, this is coming from someone who embraced the Eras Tour fashion with cowboy boots an all, only to sprain her ankle from the show. (This was an ankle I’ve previously injured) You will be standing for long periods of time and dancing around, and although the cowboy boots or bedazzled heels are cute, they aren’t the most practical. Wear something that won’t hurt your feet for days after the concert.
For people able to stand: be prepared to stand most of the time, and if you need to sit, sit during the transitions.
If you stand, you will be on your feet for 3+ hours, from waiting for Taylor to come on to leaving the venue after “Karma.” From my experience, the transitions, which are 4 minutes at their longest, are typically when people would take a sitting break, especially from the folklore set onwards.
The last 3 songs to play before Taylor goes on stage are In Ha Mood by Ice Spice, Applause by Lady Gaga, and You Don’t Own Me by Lesley Gore.
The energy when these 3 songs come on is absolutely electric - can speak for myself with In Ha Mood being wild the day that the “Karma” remix came out. The energy of Applause is something else - it’s also your last chance to snap a pre-show picture before security ushers everyone into their seats for the intro. You Don’t Own Me is when the countdown begins, as after the clock strikes 0, Taylor takes the stage.
Make the friendship bracelets!
Friendship bracelet making is a cornerstone of The Eras Tour experience, and I highly recommend making them and trading with other Swifties! People trade but don’t fret if you don’t have many to trade - a few generous Swifties gave some out to me and my friends without trading back! I even traded a bracelet to another car while waiting in traffic to get into the stadium! For successful bracelet making, make them more than a day before the show. Pro tip: Any craft store in the metropolitan area of the show might have low stock on beads and bracelet making materials - I learned this lesson visiting Michaels the night before in Huntington, New York, a good 50 miles away from metlife stadium!
If you need any inspiration on what to put on your friendship bracelets, a lot of people put song titles, song acronyms, lyrics, and even general eras tour beads on them. I appreciate a good unhinged bracelet though: my favorite bracelet I made was one with “all too unwell” and another with green beads spelling out “dog” (in reference to Rebekah Harkness dyeing a dog key lime green in the bridge of “the last great american dynasty”)
Build time in for coming to the show - leaving early is better!
Regardless if you are driving or taking public transport to the show, leave earlier for the concert than you think. Even though the stadiums are big and clearing security won’t take forever, getting to the concert can be a trek, especially if you are coming in from further in the metropolitan area. For reference, it took me 4 hours to get from Long Island to MetLife stadium with holiday weekend traffic.
If you are driving to the show, park as close as you can to an exit and walk from there.
This more pertains to stadiums where the majority of concertgoers drive instead of using public transport, such as most US stadiums, but getting out of any big concert can be a headache. Parking closer to the exit made leaving the show 10 times easier.
Expect surprises, but don’t get your hopes up for a special premiere.
As an attendee with multiple surprises during my show (yet again another flex of attending MetLife Night 1 with “Getaway Car” with Jack Antonoff, Ice Spice performing her “Karma” verse and the “Karma” music video premiere), I was definitely spoiled. Yet being at The Eras Tour and having Taylor Swift play surprise songs from her discography is already a treat in itself. I’m grateful for having a special show, but not every show is supposed to be some sort of announcement, premiere, or Aaron Dessner appearance where you know you are getting the most soul-crushing surprise song. You should be grateful for whatever surprise songs she sings - Taylor is showcasing pieces of her discography and you shouldn’t be upset because she played “Maroon” and you weren’t there. I know this has definitely died down a bit in Swiftie circles ever since she introduced the mashups for surprise songs, but enjoy this portion of the night even if she plays a song on your bottom #13, it might become your new favorite song. (Saying this as someone who was indifferent to “evermore” until that surprise song performance altered her brain chemistry)
Appreciate the opening acts!
Opening for Taylor Swift is such an amazing feat in itself for artists at various levels in their career, to rising stars Sabrina Carpenter and Gracie Abrams, to legendary band Paramore. Regardless if you listen to them or not, you’re in for a great set, and if you’re a big fan, it’s like two concerts in one! (Especially with me having Phoebe Bridgers as an opener - I’m so glad I saw her Punisher set)
There is no such thing as a bad seat at The Eras Tour!
Regardless if you’re in the nosebleeds, lower bowl, or you end up on the floor anyway, you will have a great view of Taylor and the stage. There are also screens in the stadiums so you can see all of the on stage action happening. Taylor does a good job at making the show production immersive no matter where you are seated.
Be prepared for bathroom lines - especially anywhere from an hour before Taylor goes on.
This pro tip comes from my friends missing the entirety of Phoebe Bridgers opening set. Speaking of bathrooms, if you really have to go during the show, the Fearless and folklore interludes are the longest for a quick bathroom break. No song on the setlist should be your bathroom break, even if it’s overplayed!
Take the moment and taste it!
The Eras Tour is truly like an experience like no other: take the moment and taste it! Hearing Taylor Swift play her songs live that raised me, healed me, and taught me so much about myself was such a magical experience. Make sure to soak it all in!
Whether it is your first time seeing Taylor Swift in concert to being a Swiftie since she was opening up for Keith Urban, these pro tips are going to make your Eras Tour experience even more enjoyable. There’s nothing like The Eras Tour, no matter what your favorite era is. Long live the magic you’ll make!
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