Taylor Swift brought fans through various ‘eras’ of her career, with songs from each of her albums featuring throughout the over three-hour gig
Making your way into the Aviva Stadium for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, it feels less like a pop concert and more like a community gathering to celebrate all things girlhood.
“I love your dress,” one fan gushed to a stranger kitted out in sequins as friendship bracelets, handmade in their thousands it seems, were exchanged enthusiastically.
A pop juggernaut unlike any other, Swift’s latest tour is the highest-grossing in history and the first ever to surpass $1bn in revenue and the resulting ‘Swiftonimics’ is expected to generate €150m for the local economy in Dublin. And that is evident on the ground: as well as fans from Cork, Kerry, Galway and beyond travelling to Dublin, it seemed there were as many American accents as Irish chattering in the crowd.
Thought to be among the VIP guests nearby was Swift’s boyfriend, Kanas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce while sitting in the stands was former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy who was home from London and spotted snapping selfies and trading bracelets with young fans.
Rock band Paramore warmed up the crowd from 6.10pm with hits like ‘Still Into You’ easily coaxing cheers, with lead vocalist Hayley Williams thrilled to be in Ireland, even wearing a Cranberries t-shirt.
“We love it here: we’ve always had really good shows in Ireland.”
Swift appeared to fever-pitch screams of adoration from her Irish fans at 7.16pm sharp, launching into ‘Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince’ and ‘Cruel Summer’ from her Lover album, bringing the audience on a journey through two decades in music.
“Dublin, that was wild. What a welcome,” she said after her opening act. She added that no audience compares to Irish crowds.
“I’m just having this feeling of ‘we’re back’. I haven’t gotten to play a song in Dublin in, I think it’s been five years. Nobody does this like you.”
She even appeared as a sparkling human tricolour at one stage, donning an orange top and green skirt with orange and green shoes during her 1989 era to honour her host country, a green mic completing the look.
For the unfamiliar, in the Eras tour, Swift brings fans through various ‘eras’ of her career, with songs from each of her albums featuring throughout the over three-hour gig. Since her tour began in March 2023, fans have been attending dressed as their favourite of her 11 albums.
People warn you that the Eras Tour is loud, but it really does take hearing it to believe it. Fan favourite tracks include, ‘Shake It Off’, ‘Anti-Hero’, and the ten-minute-long ‘All Too Well’— all the rerecorded ‘Taylors Versions’, naturally — and these plus the ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ lyric change to “póg mo thóin” are among the songs that received the biggest screams at the Aviva.
‘Champagne Problem’ received a two-minute-long ear-splitting ovation and chats of ‘Olé Olé Olé’ that clearly made Swift feel emotional.
However, it is her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, that wowed the most. Recently added to the setlist after the album’s launch in April and aptly described by one reviewer at the time as ‘Female Rage: The Musical’, the TTPD section is an energised, cathartic performance from Swift and one that whipped fans into a frenzy.
For her surprise songs, Swift sang an acoustic mashup up of ‘State of Grace’ and ‘You’re On Your Own Kid’ on the guitar, before sitting at the piano to blend together ‘Sweet Nothing’ and ‘Hoax’.
As the sun set on Swift’s first night in Dublin, one thing was for sure: it’s not just social media hype — the Eras Tour is a once-in-generation spectacle that lives up to some very high expectations. To quote ‘Fearless’: “I don’t know how it gets better than this.”
The sold-out Eras Tour continues in Dublin on Saturday and Sunday.
