The European leg of The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift's recording-breaking international tour, has come to a close, but it is a chapter that will be felt for a long time in its aftermath.
Although the three-and-a-half-hour-long show with the American pop princess dazzled thousands of fans this summer, breaking attendance records in multiple countries, it was often the things that happened outside the venue walls that grabbed headlines.
This included Taylor Swift-themed events to coincide with her visit to Europe, and the trend of 'Tay-gating’: gathering outside a Taylor Swift concert without a ticket.
This was seen outside Dublin's Aviva Stadium in June but it happened to such a huge extent in Munich, Germany, in July, with around 50,000 people recorded gathering outside, that it was remarked upon by the artist herself.
"I’m feeling really grateful for the unexpected memories this tour has created," she said in a post on Instagram.
Fast forward to August, and for the US singer’s return to London for a second time this summer, fans were warned that they should not gather outside Wembley Stadium and that they would be moved on.
This was because there had been big changes, and tragically, lives lost in the meantime.
On 29 July, nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe were fatally stabbed in Southport, UK, while attending a kids club dance class themed on the singer.
Eight other children suffered stab wounds, alongside two adults who were also critically injured, police said.
A 17-year-old boy, Axel Rudakubana, was charged with murder and attempted murder, and riots in the UK followed.
Not long after this, a terror threat was recorded in Vienna, Austria that was set to target attendees of The Eras Tour. This saw the cancellation of three shows in August, which devastated fans.
Despite these setbacks, The Eras Tour is still set to go down in music history, and it’s not even over yet.
The European leg saw Swift play in cities and countries she had not visited before, adding more dates and support acts as time went on, with a particular focus on emerging female artists such as Raye, Suki Waterhouse and Maisie Peters.
Taylor’s team was able to hire venues that the singer previously played in during the last decade, such as Dublin’s 3Arena, just to sell merchandise.
Finishing the European leg in London, Taylor Swift has now broken a record previously held by Michael Jackson, being the first solo artist to play at Wembley Stadium eight times in a single tour.
Although a lot of spending was done by fans during the summer of Taylor-mania, with economic impacts being felt in cities that hosted the singer, she has also given back.
Donations have been made in her name to a number of charities along the way, such as Dublin’s Crosscare food services.
Taylor Swift and her mother Andrea also made time to meet with the families impacted by the Southport attacks, inviting them backstage in London.
In a statement released on social media at the time of the Southport attack, the star said: "The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and the first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class.
"I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families."
Swift released a statement this week describing a "rollercoaster of emotions" as she took to the stage in London this time.
She reflected on an unforgettable summer on tour, as well as expressing "relief" that it had ended safely.
"We have officially wrapped the European leg of The Eras Tour. With it came the most passionate crowds I’ve ever played for, new traditions in the show, and an entirely new era added in.
"Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives".
The highs
Fans of Taylor Swift or ‘Swifites’ as they are referred to, have been making their mark across Europe this summer.
Whether at the concerts themselves or elsewhere, they have been gathering to sing, dance and share friendship bracelets. Even in the dark times we have seen in recent weeks, their unwavering support has shone through.
Many travelled to Europe from all over the world, and attended multiple concerts.
One thing that really stands out to me about fans attending The Eras Tour is their self-expression through colour and creativity. This has been seen through their costumes and outfits, with plenty of glitter, hearts and body paint splashed, and more recently, colourful balloons or lanterns being produced during the song Willow from Taylor’s album Evermore.
Fans have shown their love for their idol by causing seismic activity during gigs and providing elongated standing ovations for Taylor and the entire Eras Tour crew during the concerts.
I saw this happen during the show in Dublin standing in the crowd.
Little snapshot of @taylorswift13 reacting to the crowd's cheers at the Aviva stadium on Saturday night! #TSTheErasTourDublin pic.twitter.com/GKzpM0GZJS
— Cathy Lee (@cathyleemedia) July 2, 2024
I’ve attended a lot of concerts over the years, but what stood out to me at this gig was the sheer admiration I saw from fans. Watching their reaction to seeing Taylor perform in front of us, was like we really were in the presence of a God.
I saw a spectacle on a similar scale when I visited London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to attend Taylor Swift: Songbook Trail.
The 1.5km trail has 13 stops that celebrate the career and impact of Taylor Swift.
The exhibition is free to visit and contains a collection of items from Swift’s personal archive, such as guitars, costumes and notes.
Kate Bailey, the exhibition curator, explained that the aim was to showcase the 34-year-old singer’s contribution to music and culture at a moment of fascination, with something for everyone to behold, not just Swifties.
She said that the museum has been buzzing with visitors, with plenty of new younger audiences attending. She described it as "powerful" witnessing fans being emotionally moved by the objects.
"Fans have been reacting by singing, the audience has been so respectful, caring and considerate. The friendship bracelets are being shared and in what I’m overhearing in pockets of conversations, there’s a lot of excitement. I’ve felt humbled by it.
"I wanted to make it literary and poetic but also theatrical, and trace it with chapters and bookend it, as it’s clear Taylor had an early childhood dream and ambition, and now she has made her mark and changed the face of the music industry forever".
She added that the responsibility of creating the exhibition felt huge because the museum had never done anything like it before for a singular contemporary artist, and the objects had never left the US before.
"The exhibition has been about looking back and reflecting the current moment. Museums tend to be full of old masters, and I thought maybe it was time for some new masters of art.
"I was worried about making sure it was something that would work for the fandom. I knew if it got critical acclaim but hadn’t worked for the Swifties themselves, it hadn’t worked.
"The impact of Taylor Swift globally is a phenomenon, and we’re celebrating that.
"What she’s doing for women, the position of responsibility she has, her values and creativity - it's such an incredible thing to be part of in these sometimes dark times, to have someone like her as a role model who is making such an impact".
Lasting memories
For Taylor Swift herself, it’s very clear for anyone to see that she is on the top of her game.
Whether this is calculated by record album sales or by another metric, such as her ability to have such stamina to perform on this giant scale night after night.
But I think what we have seen from The Eras Tour is the artist allowed herself to have fun, take the lead creatively, and enjoy the fruits of her achievements, which is something to be celebrated and admired.
As I write this, I admit to being a Swiftie (if that wasn’t already clear).
This began when I attended the Reputation Tour in Dublin in 2018, and it’s safe to say that we are in a completely different era now, as fans await Taylor’s Version of that album.
As she might say herself: ‘Everything Has Changed,' during this relatively small period of time for Taylor Swift.
As a fan, it’s wonderful to see the success and the increasing extent of her reach as a musician, as it’s well-documented that it has not always been an easy ride for her over the years.
Seeing Taylor Swift perform to crowds of thousands, with fans hanging on her every word, gesture and movement, there was something cathartic in that.
The European leg of The Eras Tour saw the singer team up with her long-term friends in the rock band Paramore, as her support act, and even shared the stage with lead singer Hayley Williams in London in June.
Other collaborators and friends that Taylor shared The Eras Tour stage with this summer included Florence and the Machine, Ed Sheeran, Gracie Abrams and Jack Antonoff, which thrilled crowds.
Taylor’s own grin from ear to ear could also be seen.
But one unforgettable stage appearance came from Taylor’s partner, NFL player Travis Kelce, who participated in the dressing and preparation of Taylor Swift for her performance of I Can Do It With a Broken Heart, (Taylor’s latest single release), during The Tortured Poets Department segment of the tour.
In an Instagram post at the time, Taylor Swift said she was "cracking up/swooning" as a result, and I think it’s fair to say we were all feeling the same.
As for what’s next for Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour is on a break now until October. It will run until December, stopping at venues in the US and Canada, with Gracie Abrams taking up the support mantle from Paramore.
Following The Eras Tour cinema release last year, rumours are brimming about a tell-all documentary about the tour to come.
Whatever happens, to quote Taylor Swift in her latest social media post, finishing the European leg of the tour brought her "to a place of carefree calm".
Let’s hope that experiencing the tour in all its glory did that for the fans and that it continues for both them and Taylor herself, as this particular chapter closes.
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