LONDON, ENGLAND—Swifties and 92,000 of their closest friends crowded Wembley Stadium for a magical night of music on August 17, 2024. Fans gathered to watch Taylor Swift take the stage for her 138th show of the Eras Tour. 

The Eras Tour is not just a concert. It fully celebrates Swift’s career, spanning her evolution as an artist over nearly two decades. The show lasts three and a half hours and features a set list of 43 songs and two surprise songs. 

The atmosphere was electric from the moment the two-minute and 30-second countdown clock appeared. To set the scene before Swift emerges on stage, she uses the big screen to make a house with all the eras, audio clips from different songs, and sayings from albums. 

Swift kicked off the concert with a bang, performing hits from “Lover” like “Cruel Summer” before seamlessly transitioning into the nostalgia-fueled “Fearless” era, with fan favorites like “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me.” Each section felt like a self-contained experience, as Swift deftly moved between “Folklore’s” acoustic heartbreak and “1989’s” shimmering pop anthems, ensuring there was never an energy lull. 

Swift has many little moments in the show that make the experience better. During a bridge in “Fearless,” Swift and the crowd held their hands in the shape of a heart. In the Red era, she has a couple of traditions. During the song “22”, she places the 22 hat on a selected fan’s head; for this show, the chosen fan, a young girl, looked shocked that it was happening to her. 

During the song “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” a backup dancer, Kameron Saunders, says, “Nah, bruv.” Saunders says this line at every performance but changes it depending on where the show occurs. When performing in a country where English is not the primary language, he makes an effort to say the line in the local language. 

Every show, Swift plays two surprise songs, one on the guitar and one on the piano, between “The Tortured Poets Department” and “Midnights.” For this show, the first surprise song caused a lot of excitement through the crowd. Before she began singing, she said to the crowd, “So I’m going to do a song I’ve never done on the tour that’s one of my favorite songs ever just because you’re that awesome and you deserve something of this caliber.” She sang “I Did Something Bad” for the first time on the tour. 

The flow between eras was impressive, with dramatic costume changes on and off stage and visuals marking each transition, enhancing the storytelling and captivating fans for the entire show. 

The stage design and production were nothing short of spectacular. Lighting and color schemes played a crucial role, with each era having its distinct palette, such as the golden hues for “Fearless” and moody purples for “Midnights.” The massive stage featured towering LED screens that changed to reflect the mood of each album, from the dreamlike forests of “Folkmore,” which is Folklore, and “Evermore” combined into one to the vibrant, neon cityscapes of 1989. 

Swift’s outfit changes were seamless, aligning with each musical transformation. The changes on stage were rapid and well done; most of the time, you did not realize it occurred until she appeared in a new outfit. She had 16 costume changes throughout the whole show. 

The choreography was equally impressive. The backup dancers were highly talented and looked like they were having fun, which added to the overall atmosphere of the concert. As for Swift herself, her moves were minimal and enhanced by her backup dancers. 

Props and set pieces, like the cabin from “Folkmore” and the snake from “Reputation,” added layers of storytelling to the performance. One of the most innovative aspects was the interactive wristbands given to the audience, which lit up in sync with the music. This turned the entire stadium into a sparkling sea of color and made the audience feel like a part of the show. The attention to detail elevated the production, transforming the concert into an immersive theatrical experience. 

The audience interaction was terrific, with fans’ energy driving much of the concert’s magic. When you enter the stadium, the crowd is excited, and the atmosphere is friendly. Everyone is excited to be there and be a part of it. Fans sang along to every word, creating powerful, stadium-wide harmonies during songs. Some songs had high-energy beats, while others were slower and more emotional. Fans also traded friendship bracelets before the show; some even traded with the police. 

Swift was highly engaged, frequently pausing between songs to address the audience with heartfelt speeches or quick things to introduce a song. She would look out into the audience during songs, wave to the front row, and connect with others. Near the beginning of the concert, she complimented people’s outfits. Swift’s warmth and personal engagement made the crowd feel seen and appreciated, amplifying the sense of community and emotional connection. 

Swift’s effort during the concert is visible through her singing. Her voice soared effortlessly through every era, adapting to the emotional tone of each song. Swift demonstrated impressive control and range by delivering the delicate falsettos of “Folklore”’s “Cardigan” or the bold, full-bodied vocals in “Red”’s “All Too Well (10-Minute Version).” 

The transitions between eras were smooth and often included clever reinterpretations of old songs that fit their new contexts, ensuring each performance felt fresh and emotionally resonant. Swift’s ability to shift seamlessly between tender ballads and high-energy anthems demonstrated how hard she worked during the show. 

 The Eras Tour was an unforgettable experience for me. By the end of the show, it was clear that it was not just a concert. It was a shared experience of nostalgia, empowerment, and joy. The crowd’s energy and Swift’s genuine connection with her audience made it personal and unique, even in a massive stadium of 92,000.