We may say we’re fine, but it’s not true. The end of the Eras Tour is upon us.
Taylor Swift‘s record-shattering show has traversed five continents and 51 cities. Fans have valiantly fought the Great War to get tickets, danced outside of open-roofed stadiums, donned elaborate outfits and tuned into grainy livestreams. Now the show is ending with three shows in Vancouver (…err Swift-couver), Canada.
Pull up a livestream and keep this page refreshed as we discuss Friday night’s concert before we’re all left asking, “How did it end?”
Long live the Eras Tour: Check out our book ‘This Swift Beat’
Swift Alert is an app that launched over the summer of 2023 to notify fans worldwide of when the superstar would begin certain eras in the show. But then it added the addictive game Mastermind. Millions of fans log on to guess Swift’s different outfits and which surprise songs she will play. The app’s creator Kyle Mumma is in Swift-couver with his wife, Mia, and Betsy Sedlak. They are hosting an event at the Vogue Theatre tonight. Think of fans gathering at a sports bar to catch a heated game, but make it Swifties hoping to get the most Mastermind points. Tickets are still available for locals. And fans can still cast their Mastermind ballot before Swift takes the stage.
While we wait for Gracie Abrams to take the stage, here is a fun way to pass the time. Check out the two suburban legends in Naperville, Illinois, who have gone viral for a second year for creating their own Merry Swiftmas House. Amy and Brian Scott are back with a larger than life-sized typewriter, a to-scale “Folklore” cottage and a tuxedo-clad Travis Kelce. Big Yeti is up on the rooftop! See the magical set-up here.
The Vancouver Police Department deployed hundreds of officers wearing highlighter yellow vests in and around the stadium. In a reel posted to Instagram, officers offered some tips for families heading to the Eras Tour like make a meet point before heading in, especially for groups who are visiting the city and stadium for the first time.
And in the blink of a crinkling eye the doors to the BC Place Stadium opened and concertgoers filed inside. Opening act Gracie Abrams was set to take the stage in just over two hours at 6:45 p.m. PT / 9:45 p.m. ET. The temperature in the cloud-coated city was 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Rain was expected to start trickling down with a 90% chance of showers happening at 11 p.m. when the concert should let out.
While fans may be reeling, asking, “Is It Over Now?” The answer is yes. Well, at least according to Taylor Swift. She’s said multiple times that Vancouver will be the final show. During the “All Too Well” section of the 100th Eras Tour show in Liverpool, Swift told the crowd, “This is the very first time I’ve ever acknowledged to myself and admitted that this tour is going to end in December.” That very last night will be Sunday.
Just north of False Creek in downtown Vancouver, Canada, is BC Place Stadium. The British Columbia arena — with the largest cable supported retractable roof in the world — opened in 1983 and can fit more than 50,000 fans. Swift is the first performer to sell out three shows on a single tour. On the front of the stadium is a 140-foot inflatable friendship bracelet. Shawn Kolodny, a contemporary artist and sculptor, designed the jewelry for the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The art was then passed to the succeeding shows of Indianapolis, Toronto and now Vancouver.
Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams has been opening for Taylor Swift the entire final North American leg of the Eras Tour.
The two collaborated on the song “Us.” on Abrams’ album “The Secret of Us.” This summer, Abrams posted a video of Swift putting out a fire in her New York City apartment after the two wrote the track. Now, it’s nominated for the Grammy for best pop duo/group performance.
Unless you are on the Pacific coast, it’s going to be a late night!
Here are the approximate times opening act Gracie Abrams will take the stage, Taylor Swift will perform and the surprise songs should happen.
- PT: 6:45 p.m. | 7:50 p.m. | 10:35 p.m.
- MT: 7:45 p.m. | 8:50 p.m. | 11:35 p.m.
- CT: 8:45 p.m. | 9:50 p.m. | 12:35 a.m.
- ET: 9:45 p.m. | 10:50 p.m. | 1:35 a.m.
After flying into Vancouver, fans headed to see “Downtown Lights” scattered throughout the metropolitan area. Destination Downtown held a scavenger hunt comprised of 13 locations. Swifties who took photos in front of one or all of the light installations using the Stamp Me app were entered to get a pair of tickets. Most of the life-size letters spelled out Swift’s songs: “Willow,” “Delicate,” “ME!,” “Anti-Hero,” “Red,” “Betty,” “Karma,” “Shake It Off,” “Down Bad,” “Lover,” “Style” and “Cardigan.” The 13th was “Swift-couver.”
Miguel Barbosa shared a cute video on Instagram dancing around the city in front of all of the locations with his fiancée, Katie.
If you have 18 minutes to spare?
Since February, I have traveled to four continents and eight countries to speak with fans about the epic and historic Eras Tour. The concerts have become a melting pot of Swifties who all speak the same lyrical language. If you happen to have 18 minutes to spare before Swift takes the stage in BC Place, check out this mini-documentary about the bejeweled singer’s impact and how there may never be a concert quite like this again.
Taylor Swift reporter gives an inside look at the Eras Tour
Follow along as USA TODAY’s Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West concert hops across the globe to cover the Eras Tour.
What it’s like to cover the Eras Tour
As the official Taylor Swift reporter, I’m not being hyperbolic when I say the Eras Tour has been my job — and really, my life — for the past 13 months. I’ve posted 501 articles, made 42 television appearances, published 974 photos, edited 38 videos, filmed a documentary and written a book on Swift.
It all started with USA TODAY’s viral job posting for the world’s first full-time, dedicated Taylor Swift reporter in the summer of 2023. The memories I’ve made may be unique to me, but the overall themes are common to anyone who went to one or more Eras Tour shows.
You can read what it was like to travel four continents with this tour in a personal reflection here.
And even though this chapter is wrapping up, Swift is already working on her next project. In the foreword to her official concert book, she wrote, “See you in the next era.” It’s one I plan to cover.
Eras Tour books
Taylor Swift published her own official Eras Tour book including 500+ images from the show and new insights into its production. According to Circana’s BookScan, which tracks the majority of print market sales, 814,000 copies of the book sold its first week. That makes the behind-the-scenes collector’s item the second-highest adult nonfiction release after Barack Obama’s memoir “A Promised Land” sold 816,300 copies in 2020.
Complementing Swift’s tome is USA TODAY Network’s “This Swift Beat,” which follows the news, the impact and the fans of the songwriter’s magnum opus. We haven’t sold anywhere close to 800,000 copies, but we haven’t given up hope!
Don’t miss any Taylor Swift news; sign up for the free, weekly newsletter This Swift Beat.
Follow Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
