Endurance art — it’s the only term that perfectly summarises Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour extravaganza. Because, if you want to successfully experience the Eras Tour without any mishaps, you’ve got to use your beautiful brain. Now that our queen has safely made a touchdown on Aussie soil (yes, I’m including an NFL reference on purpose. Go Chiefs!!!!), it’s time to get organised.
I went to the Eras Tour with my best friend on July 29, last year in Santa Clara. For us, it was our church — it was spiritual. It was also long. And that’s coming from a diehard Swiftie.
So, here’s exactly what you need to thrive, survive, and endure the 3.5 hour concert. And, honestly, I have no idea how Blondie is doing it.
Ditch the heels
I don’t care if you’re Carrie Bradshaw, Ms Taylor Alison Swift is the only person who should be wearing red bottoms at the Eras Tour.
Although it’s a fully seated event, my bestie and I sat down for a grand total of six minutes at the Santa Clara show. You will be standing, you will be dancing, and you’ll think you can sit down in the ‘slower’ eras (hey folklore and evermore girlies) but you won’t. Play it safe.
Flats or — if they completely ruin the look, you’ve spent hours crafting — find a Mary Poppins-style bag that can stretch to stuff your heels in when you switch to flats when the show starts.
Reminder: the official guidelines allow only one A4-size bag per person, with a max of two compartments.
Pack a portable charger
Don’t be that person.
You know, the one who begs the staff at merch stands or food stalls for a spare power point to plug your phone into.
Ms Swift says herself, “capture it, remember it,” and as such, you will be nonstop filming, and posing, and taking photos of/with Tay on stage and of/with your fellow Swifties.
It will be magical, don’t let it be hampered by that low battery percentage bar! Plus, with public transport being the only viable way to and from the venue, your phone at the end of the night will be very important — to check timetables, call Ubers, pay for cabs and of course, raid the food trucks after the show.
While there was a bit of a hullabaloo surrounding what you could bring into the arena, Frontier Touring has confirmed that you can take in a charger that’s the same size or smaller than your phone.
Put your phone away
I know, I know, I’ve just banged on about making sure your phone is fully charged. But now, put that fully charged phone away.
I made a conscious effort to only film when I desperately needed to — for example, when Taylor first appeared on stage; basically, the whole Reputation era; our surprise songs (“Stay, Stay, Stay” and “All of the Girls You Loved Before”); and during the closing performance, “Karma”.
Remember to be present. It’s been a long time since Tay has been here and getting tickets was akin to surviving “several bear attacks” so don’t waste the experience by watching through your screen. Feel it.
Forget adult diapers — Go to the toilet…Except in “All Too Well (10 minute version)”
Look, I know it’s a 10-minute song, but I promise it is a spiritual experience to hear this for the first time live.
May I suggest studying the setlist and pinpointing two to three songs that you know — in your heart of hearts — aren’t your fave?
You like them, but on a quick drive, you’re skipping them, and you’ve certainly never had them on repeat.
For me, that would be towards the start of the Red era. Now, I love Tay’s fourth album as much as anybody, but if you’ve been lucky to see her perform before, you’ve seen this. So, escape when the closing bars of “Long Live” sound (the end of the Speak Now era) and run back when you hear the opening bars of, “I Knew You Were Trouble”. That way, you’ll have plenty of time to settle back in for “All Too Well”.
If that sounds completely unfathomable, I’ve been you.
Did my bestie and I ration water and refuse to go to the bathroom last July? Yes.
Do I regret that? Kind of.
We should have felt more confident to drink more water — there is going to be a lot happening, many overwhelming moments and a lot of people around you. Make sure you are staying hydrated. It’s not worth fainting— health-wise, obviously — but, also, you’d miss the show!
Don’t be a hero. Instead, if you absolutely refuse to miss a second of Tay, run for the bathroom in the last song of support act Sabrina Carpenter‘s setlist.
Don’t scream the bridge to “Cruel Summer” too enthusiastically
Don’t go too hard, too early.
Remember, it’s endurance art. There are so many bridges to scream, don’t shred your vocal cords on the second song.
Go on, get amongst the friendship bracelets
I have had so much fun making these finicky jewels.
Yes, it’s time-consuming. Yes, it’s tough to finalise your design when you only have so many vowels at your disposal. And yes, it’s heartbreaking when all the beads go flying after you’ve so carefully threaded them, only to be thwarted by the final, most crucial task, of successfully TYING THE KNOT.
But it’s so worth it. The joy you will get from swapping and trading them with all demographics of Swifties at the concert is unparalleled.
You’re on your own, kid (except, you’re not)
You will be surrounded by 100,000 of your (physically) closest Swifties. And yes, while we’re a passionate group/cult, we’re not totally alike, we have different tastes — I’ve been getting into nonstop arguments with my bestie Kirsten Ploog on our Ready For It podcast recently, to prove it.
You may rock up to your seat and find:
- You are behind a ‘tall girl’ (a technical term to describe anyone ranging from a centimetre to a genuine foot taller than you)
- You are next to the most off-key, but passionate fan who really relates to “Tolerate It”, who is singing at an eardrum-splitting volume
- You are surrounded by buff, bald, male tradies in flannels who look super out of place among the otherwise female-dominated audience; but who turn out to be huuuuuuge Red stans and know all the words to “Stay, Stay, Stay” (true story).
But don’t let whatever circumstance you – rationally or irrationally – deem suboptimal, have the chance to ruin your night. Accept it, embrace it. Dare I say, ‘remember this moment’. Because it will be unlike any other.
Georgie Tunny is a Co-Host of The Project on Network 10, and hosts a Taylor Swift-inspired podcast, Ready For It, alongside Kirsten Ploog.
