632 days. 152 shows. 10.1 million attendees. In just a few short days, the biggest-selling concert tour in history will end. After countless hours of dancing to songs, singing along to heart-wrenching lyrics, and watching Taylor Swift play fan favorites on glitchy live streams, it will all end on Dec. 8. The Eras Tour harbored some of the best memories to some, just like it did for me during her long-awaited 6 show run in Toronto, Ontario.
Getting tickets to The Eras Tour was no easy task, as many referred to it as “The Ticketmaster Great War” (a reference to her song “The Great War,”) while getting tickets for the US leg. This was no different for the Canadian leg, as more than 30 million people registered to get the opportunity to buy tickets. Due to the increasing demand for tickets, those who registered to buy tickets either got waitlisted or given a code, granting them access to the ticket queue. However, getting a code does not guarantee tickets. Many join the ticket queue feeling hopeful and excited about potentially attending an Eras Tour show, while some others leave the queue with none at all, due to bots and ticket resellers who got to most tickets first.
To the lucky ones who were able to get tickets, the countdown starts exactly at that moment, no matter how far out their show might be. When I bought tickets, the show was more than a year later, but that did not stop me from shopping for my outfit or fun things to do while in the city. Swift performed for two consecutive weekends at the Rogers Centre, doing so flawlessly even after being on tour for almost two years. After 464 days of patiently waiting for Swift’s Nov. 16 show, the day finally came. Emotions such as excitement, gratitude, and happiness were present the entire day leading up to the concert and never left after the show.
Getting into the stadium was almost as chaotic as getting tickets, as lines wrapped around multiple blocks with people dressed up elaborately. Many dressed up from inspirations such as music videos, song lyrics, and infamous red carpet looks, which made standing in the long lines a bit more fun. Trading friendship bracelets, a tradition that started at the beginning of the tour, was still going strong as a way to add to the excitement of the concert.
Gracie Abrams opened the concert with a 45-minute performance that consisted of her most popular songs such as “That’s So True” and “Close To You,” which pumped up the crowd with anticipation for Swift to take the stage.
Swift took the stage at around 8 pm, opening with “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince” from her 7th studio album, “Lover.” As highlighted in her opening speech, Swift takes the crowd through eighteen years of music one era at a time, combining her favorite parts of each previous tour she’s done and combining it into one huge show.
One of the most anticipated parts of the setlist, the surprise songs, leaves everybody on their toes until the very last moment. During the European leg of the tour, Swift decided to acoustically mash up two or more songs during part of the set, creating an even deeper sense of surprise for the audience. For Toronto night three, Swift brought out Gracie Abrams to play their Grammy-nominated song “us.” which is featured on Abrams’ most recent album, mashing it with “Out Of The Woods” from “1989” on the guitar. On the piano, Swift played a mashup of “You’re On Your Own, Kid” and “Long Story Short” to finish out the first weekend in Toronto. The crowd was electric until the very last moment, savoring each memory made at The Eras Tour that will last a lifetime.
Although The Eras Tour is coming to an end, that doesn’t change the fact that it brought new memories to millions of people, bringing joy and happiness to new fans and ones that have stuck by Swift’s side throughout all the eras. Even though we are saying goodbye to The Eras Tour, looking back on the memories made by each attendee will last a lifetime.
