Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has taken over 2023, and with the international shows officially on the road, it is time to look back on the best eight moments from the first United States leg.
1. Night one: Glendale
The first night of the Eras Tour was one of the most special nights because it was the only night where everything was new. Without any articles about what happened the night before — or available live streams — each song, each outfit, each speech, the dive into the stage, the iconic acoustic set — all a surprise. The awe and discovery felt in Glendale, Arizona on March 17 could not be replicated, and it made for a magical night.
2. “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” announcement
Swift has been rerecording her albums originally recorded with Big Machine Records in order to own her own music. These rerecords have become the source of major anticipation from all her fans, and since the “Red (Taylor’s Version)” release in November 2021, Swifites were counting the days for her to speak out about “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”
May 5, 2023 was that day.
During her nightly surprise song acoustic set, Swift announced that “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” was on its way, and the crowd reaction was huge. This long awaited release left fans ecstatic, creating an iconic night for the tour.
3. “Bad Blood (Security Guard’s Version)”
Fans have created chants to accompany Swift’s songs for many a tour, and on May 13, another one entered the repertoire.
When a security guard was bothering a fan who was just singing and dancing along to the show, Swift herself called out the guard, telling him to leave her alone. Her impromptu “she’s fine” and “hey, stop” went perfectly with the already angsty, upbeat song, and her yelling became a new chant to scream.
4. Gracie Abrams surprise (song)
Toward the end of the night, every show, Swift would sing two songs not already on the setlist that were unique to that show, and sometimes she would feature some special guests.
While bad weather rarely ever stopped Swift from getting up on the stage, July 1’s storm prevented her opening act, Gracie Abrams, from delivering her set. So, for a third surprise song — which was exciting enough — Swift brought out Abrams to sing “I miss you, I’m sorry” together. This first-time duet made Eras Tour history in more ways than one, and went down as one of the more iconic acoustic sets.
5. Eight minutes of “Champagne Problems”
Evermore was one of Swift’s albums released during COVID-19 and it was a running joke among the fans that this was her least favorite. Her evermore era on the tour proved fans wrong, and every night they rewarded this with applause galore after her performance of “champagne problems” — lasting almost eight minutes one night.
Her Tuesday night show at SoFi Stadium featured a screaming standing ovation that broke the evermore applause record. Swift became emotional, commenting on the insanity of the fans’ support. Eight minutes marked this as a top Eras Tour moment.
6. Taylor Lautner takes the stage
“Speak Now” did not just feature songs about Swift’s own heartbreaks, but also the pain she caused partners herself — more specifically, Taylor Lautner — so it was definitely a shock when he took the Eras Tour stage on July 7.
“Back to December” has always been rumored to be about Lautner, but now Taylor and Taylor are good friends, with him starring in her new music video “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault).” His backflip entrance only added to the crowd’s excitement at seeing the two reunite, and July 7 went down in Eras Tour history.
7. Swifties cause an earthquake, literally
If the hype surrounding the tour was not enough of an event, the fans caused a literal earthquake.
After two nights of dancing to “Shake it Off” and more, Lumen Field in Seattle experienced a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, raising the bar for Eras Tour excitement. Need I say more?
8. “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” announcement
Last, but definitely not least, Taylor’s Version was not finished with the Eras Tour after “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” At the last show of the first United States leg, after much anticipation and potential “clowning” by fans, Swift wore all blue and announced “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” during the surprise set.
Like “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” this album has been long awaited, and fans were ecstatic that their weeks of predictions paid off. “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” will be out Oct. 27 and feature five new songs.
The first United States leg was filled with unforgettable moments, and the fun is not over yet. With new music on the way, and the international leg happening as we speak, there is so much more Swift to get excited for.