The end of an Era, but the start of an age

Two people hold up their arms, adorned with friendship bracelets in front of the stage at the Eras Tour concert. CREDIT: BRIAR WILSON
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour had a profound impact on both fans and the culture of touring overall, but even with this chapter coming to an end, Swift doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

Beloved pop star Taylor Swift officially closed out her historic Eras Tour in Vancouver in November 2024. and fans were understandably sad to see the end. The tour celebrated Swift’s decades of music and all her different “eras.” The tour ended up becoming much more for many people, giving millions of fans countless nights they will likely never forget.

“Never had I felt this kind of unity at a concert before and I have been to many!” said Lobke D’Haens, a ‘Swiftie’ and Fanshawe student who scored tickets to the show. “The concert flew by and we were left with some kind of empty feeling, wishing we could experience it all over again!”

D’Haens didn’t expect to see the Eras Tour, but got a lucky opportunity while visiting family in Europe.

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“When the Eras Tour was announced I tried getting tickets, but just like many others I wasn’t able to get any. Then by some miracle, I got a message from a friend saying that they had 1one extra ticket for Lyon!” she said.

In total, tour spanned 152 shows across the globe. The singer even released an Eras Tour book and sold 814,000 copies in two days.

At the closing night show, Swift shared that she has gotten to perform for over “10 million people” on this tour, not accounting for the thousands who tuned in through glitchy live streams to be a part of this magical performance, so on the night of the last show, fans around the globe tuned in to witness the end.

“I watched the full show in the middle of the night together with a friend, both crying multiple times when realizing it was the last time she was performing. When it was done we looked at each other, tears in our eyes, and asked, “What do we do now?” D’Haens said.

Over the course of the tour, fans sparked many traditions in honour of the shows and created many fan projects, a popular one being turning phone flashlights on for Swift’s performance of ‘Marjorie,’ a song dedicated to her late grandmother.

“The Eras Tour brought so many people together, both online and face to face. We exchanged friendship bracelets, made outfits and sang along to all our favourite songs. I will forever recall the feeling that the Eras Tour gave me and it will probably be the most beautiful experience of my life. I’m sad that it’s over,” D’Haens said.

The tour grossed $2 billion in ticket sales according to Forbes, doubling any other tour in history. Swift was also named the Most Streamed Artist of 2024 by Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. As the Grammy Awards approach this February, Swift is heading in with six nominations, including Album of the Tear for the Tortured Poets Department, an album she announced at last year’s Grammy Awards. So, while the singer is closing out a huge chapter of her career, it’s clear she isn’t quite done yet, and her success is sure to continue into 2025.