Since the moment Taylor Swift announced the Eras Tour, there was no denying that it was going to be the tour of the year. From playing impressive two- and three-night stands at stadiums across the country to crashing Ticketmaster upon just the presale, the Eras Tour was making headlines before it even began.
But after witnessing it in person, it’s clear that Swift is not just delivering the tour of the year — it’s the tour of her generation at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
Sure, Beyoncé fans can’t wait for her tour this summer; Harry Styles is about to embark on the final leg of his highly successful Love On Tour trek; BLACKPINK sold out stadiums around the country too. Yet, it’s hard to imagine that any other tour this year will have a cultural impact as big as the Eras Tour — something that’s wildly apparent whether or not you were there.
Even before Swift hit the stage for her first night at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on May 5, her influence was felt. Practically every fan of the 70,000 in attendance (a record for the venue — more on that later) was wearing some sort of reference to their favorite Swift era: a beloved lyric, or an iconic performance or music video look. While that’s not necessarily a new trend in the Swiftie world, seeing all 10 of her eras represented throughout a stadium-sized crowd was equal parts meaningful and remarkable at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
As someone who has been to hundreds of tours and most of Swift’s — including the Reputation Tour, which I naively referred to as “the peak of her career” — I didn’t think this one would feel much different than a typical stadium show. But even when Swift was just a few songs in of her impressive three-and-a-half hour set, a feeling came over me like I wasn’t just watching one of music’s greats — I was part of music history at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
Below, here are five reasons why the Eras Tour will go down as one of the most iconic of Swift’s generation.
It’s Treated Like A Holiday
In the week leading up to the shows and over the weekend, Nashville was abundant with special events in Swift’s honor. From Taylor-themed trivia nights to pre- and post-show dance parties to wine lists transformed into “eras,” practically every place you went was commemorating her return (she last performed in Nashville in 2018) at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
While it’s unclear whether this kind of takeover is happening in every city — after all, she does consider Nashville a hometown, as she said on stage — it’s rare to see an artist have such a ripple effect by simply just coming to town.
During her May 5 show, Swift added to the excitement by sharing the highly anticipated news that Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was coming on July 7. Upon the announcement, three of Nashville’s monuments — the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, the Tennessee State Capitol and the Alliance Bernstein building downtown — were illuminated in purple, the album’s color at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
It’s Breaking Records Left And Right
Though Swift is no stranger to breaking records, she continues to do so with the Eras Tour. After setting the all-time attendance record at Nissan Stadium on night one of her Nashville run, Swift topped herself (something has become accustomed to on the charts as well) with another attendance record on night two at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
And despite the controversial ticketing frenzy the tour caused, Swift also broke a Ticketmaster record with more than 2.4 million tickets sold — the most by an artist in a single day — in the presale alone. If Swift announces an international leg of the tour, Pollstar projects that the Eras Tour could surpass $1 billion, which would add yet another first to her ever-growing list at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
It’s Spawned Parking Lot Parties
As if Swift’s dominance wasn’t demonstrated enough by attendance records and ticket sales that broke all previous records, supporters of the Eras Tour are so eager to see the show that they are sitting outside the arena (a practice some fans have dubbed “Taylorgating”). The Nissan Stadium parking lot was packed with fans, forming a makeshift barrier and waiting to see Swift live on big screen. This is not the first time that fans have flocked to see Swift perform, as they have done in practically every city at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
It Can’t Be Stopped By The Elements
Adding to the magnitude of the Eras Tour, Swift performs 45 songs across three and a half hours. And to make her last night in Nashville even more momentous, she did almost all of that in pouring rain.
Swift didn’t get to take the stage until after 10 p.m. on May 7 because of storms in the area (she normally goes on around 7:50 local time), but that didn’t mean she’d be shortening her set. Carrying on until after 1:30 a.m. — even through the “element of slippiness happening,” as she joked — Swift made it clear that she’s determined to give each show her all regardless of the weather at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
It’s Simply A Feel-Good Celebration
Perhaps it was the five-year gap between the last time she toured. Perhaps it was the four new albums of material. Perhaps it was the celebratory nature of the show. Whatever inspired the vibe of the Eras Tour, I’ve never seen Taylor Swift or her fans so alive. The passion was tangible, the energy was magnetic at 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation.
Though Swift has always been known as an artist with a very loyal following, it was still mind-blowing to hear 70,000 people belt out every word for three hours straight. There aren’t many artists whose catalogs are as equally beloved as they are extensive, especially one who hasn’t even seen her 34th birthday. No matter how many albums and tours are in Swift’s future, the Eras Tour captures a special moment in time — and celebrates a legend in her prime.
