On December 8th, 2024, Taylor Swift performed the last show of her legendary Eras Tour in Vancouver, marking the end of an era for herself, her music, and her fans.
The Eras Tour will go down in history as one of the most iconic concert tours of all time as it has stretched the limits of what people expect to be done. To celebrate the end of this emblematic era, let’s review some statistics and compare the tour’s legacy to that of other iconic tours that came before it.
According to the New York Times, Swift sold over $2 billion in tickets, higher than any gross ticket sales from any other musical tour in history. According to Billboard, Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour comes in second place with a gross of $939.1 million, and Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour comes in third with a gross of $776 million.
Don’t worry, though. Taylor didn’t keep all that money for profit. She gave $197 million in bonuses to her truck drivers, lighting crew, pyrotechnics, hair and makeup, stage designers, backup dancers, riggers, physical therapists, video team, and all her other staff who’ve helped her along the way.
The fashion of the tour is undeniably iconic. Throughout the Eras Tour, Taylor wore more than 60 different outfits. Her costumes were designed by renowned designers and companies, with many outfits designed by Roberto Cavalli, Jenny Packham, Zuhair Murad, and Vivienne Westwood.
Versace, which also contributed to the clothes and accessories for Madonna’s Madam X tour, designed the fashion of Taylor’s “Lover” era during the show. In addition, fans have even developed a game called “Mastermind” in which they predict which outfits Swift will wear to a show for a prize, like signed guitars or limited editions of vinyl.
Swift’s tour has not only had a major impact on her career but also on the careers of other young music artists. For example, Sabrina Carpenter’s fame skyrocketed when she opened for Taylor Swift during the Asian leg of the tour. As a result, her newest album Short n’ Sweet was a smashing success among the public. Along with Carpenter, Swift helped Gracie Abrams gain traction among the media. Swift has inspired many of Gracie’s hits like “That’s So True”, “Close to You”, and “I Love You, I’m Sorry” blast all over the radio and on TikTok and Instagram pages.
Over the almost two-year span of the tour, Taylor released three albums, two of them being re-recordings of her 2010 and 2015 albums Speak Now and 1989 branded as “Taylor’s Version”. The third album from this tour, The Tortured Poets Department, was entirely new. In total, she released 42 brand-new songs throughout the tour.
Here are some fun stats from the concerts:
1. Her longest-standing ovation was nearly eight minutes long during her fifth show at SoFi Stadium on August 8, 2023.
2. Her fans at Lumen Field stadium caused record-breaking seismic activity during her Seattle shows.
3. The Eras Tour visited 27 countries.
4. The concert lasts 3.5 hours on average every night.
5. When she released The Tortured Poets Department, she had to remove songs from other eras to make room.
In a way, the Eras Tour is much like the friendship bracelets fans made to exchange among themselves. It started friendships, inspired unity, and allowed everyone in the arenas to escape their lives for a few hours.
From the agonizing Ticketmaster experience of waiting in line, to the excitement people felt when they got tickets, to the concert itself, the Eras tour created valuable memories in the lives of many.
Swift has always been known for crossing boundaries allowing her to grow in a way that nobody thought was possible. Now, taking a well-deserved break, she’s got the fans asking: What other crazy tricks she has up her sleeve for next time?
