44 songs. 51 cities. 149 shows. $2 billion.
“The Eras Tour,” Taylor Swift’s sixth-concert tour, concluded Sunday night in Vancouver. The tour started on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, the first 149 dates across five continents. After 21 months, it ended on December 8, 2024.
The tour entertained hordes of Swifties and had a major impact all over the world.
In just the first eight months, the tour grossed over $1 billion. The tour was massive and when compared to Elton John’s farewell tour, which lasted five years and had 328 shows, only accumulated $939 million. The 60+ shows Swift played in 2023 accumulated 4.3 million tickets sold. Each city where Swift performed received an economic boost, and some tourist organizations reported the concert generated millions of dollars from tourism.
The tour had a significant political and cultural impact which sparked congressional hearings and a lawsuit over Ticketmaster’s alleged monopoly of the concert industry. A tour this large had many disruptions, including a foiled terrorist plot that targeted the three-date stop in Vienna, and ultimately Swift canceled the shows.
The tour was also used to announce and promote Swift’s re-recorded albums “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” Swift modified her setlist in May to include and accommodate the newly released album, “The Tortured Poet’s Department.”
Swift also released a concert tour film in October 2023, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.” The film grossed $261 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing concert film of all time.
Lyrics from “You’re On Your Own Kid,” a song on Swift’s 2022 album “Midnights,” sparked a friendship bracelet sensation. The lyrics “So make the friendship bracelets/ Take the moment and taste it” caused a 40% increase in jewelry sales at Michaels craft stores, with locations near Eras Tour stops seeing a 300% sales increase in bead and jewelry categories.
Cities like Detroit and Tampa had Swifites “taygating,” with cooking, singalongs, and trading friendship bracelets. In Philadelphia alone, around 57,000 fans “taygated” outside throughout the three-night stop.
“The Eras Tour” broke records and made history, the impact will be remembered for decades to come. Swifties know her importance, but even those Swift haters cannot argue the impact her tour had on the world.
