🎠 An Eras Tour Review: The Impossible Dream Comes True
You and I ended up in the same room at the same time
Scoring tickets to the Eras Tour is like a Don Quixote quest. Ticketmaster stands as the formidable windmill, the adversary we must confront to win the heart of our ladylove, Taylor Swift. Like the errant knight, Swifties chase the seemingly impossible dream of acquiring legit tickets that don’t break our bank accounts— armed with hope, persistence, a touch of madness, and plenty of sparkles.
Before I get into the review, my inner word nerd wants to comment on how the title Eras Tour is brilliantly simple and globally pronounceable.
In English, the plural noun form definition of “eras” means “long and distinct periods of history with particular features or characteristics.”
In Spanish, the verb “eras” is the second-person singular tú (you) form of the verb ser (to be), in the past tense imperfect indicative form. This verb tense talks about ongoing actions in the past that are still happening, habitual actions, and personal qualities that were true then and now. For example: “You were a precocious child” translates to “Eras una niña precoz.”
A Place in This World
When the Eras Tour was announced in November 2022, I knew finding a ticket in Madrid would be logistically and financially easier than in my home state. If I were living in Oregon, I’d have to drive to Seattle, possibly pay for a hotel, and figure out how to get to Lumen Field, perhaps shelling out $5.50 for a roundtrip bus ticket. If I could find a ticket in Madrid ticket, my only travel expense would be a roundtrip metro fare of €1,20—or free if I decided to walk.
In the summer of 2023, my Plan A to get Eras Tour tickets fell through when Ticketmaster didn’t select me for a presale code. I was traveling in the US and Japan, and I think the text messages couldn’t get through, or I was just unlucky. Onward.
All I Do Is Try, Try, Try
In January 2024, I set two goals—the first was experiencing the Eras Tour in Madrid, so I implemented Plan B: I told everyone I knew in Spain I had cash at the ready if anyone had an extra ticket. In February 2024, Plan C happened—inspired by my friends' pure joy in of attending the Eras Tour in Tokyo, I bought an expensive-but-worth-it resale ticket on StubHub ticket for the May 30th show in Madrid! Later a second Madrid show was added for May 29th, but Ticketmaster left me hanging again. At that point, I allowed myself to be 75 percent excited about my theoretical nosebleed seat and created Plan D: if my ticket were a scam, I’d stay and sway outside Estadio Bernabeu with the Spanish Swifties and call my bank to contest the charge the next day.
Little did I know that Plan E, the best of all, was soon to be revealed!
Two things happened a week before the show:
My friend was selling a floor-level VIP ticket for May 29th
The StubHub reseller sent me the wrong ticket (different section, row, and seat) for May 30th
After some phone calls and emails, StubHub promised me a full refund, and I bought my friend’s extra VIP ticket—saving €200! Bonus: another friend decided she wanted in on the madness fun and bought a floor-level ticket. We shopped for sparkly second-hand tops, braved the stadium chaos, and prayed our QR codes worked.
When the ticket scanner beeped happily, and no one asked for our IDs, a tidal wave of relief washed over me. After a year of uncertainty about whether I’d make it, I was in!
The Best Day
Inside, we donned section bracelets and LED wristbands, grabbed refreshments, and bopped to Paramore, who I enjoyed more than I expected. After their set, the tunes of Gracie Abrams and other Eras Tour openers played through the giant speakers, and “Applause” by Lady Gaga got us up on our feet. I made 70 friendship bracelets and gave them all away before the show started. I loved that the younger Swifties took initiative in asking to trade bracelets. I loved getting hugs from Swifties full of spirits—both emotional and alcoholic. Adding to the thrill, Taylor’s celebrity friends Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and their children, three of whom are namesakes for characters in folklore, James, Betty, and Inez, were also attending, in the real VIP section on stage left.
Never have I ever been on the floor-level ticket for a concert of this magnitude for an artist I adore so much. Even though I’m not the tallest person, I could see and hear pretty well with musician earplugs. My ticket trade-up meant committing to standing for her three-and-a-half-hour set, which meant ankle booties were not an option for my 1989 look. I regret nothing but was relieved not to be alone in my discomfort when my friend leaned over halfway through the show and said: "My legs are so tired, but I’m not even moving or dancing like she is!”
Most Fun I Ever Had
The Eras Tour Europe setlist is a perfectly curated sonic flow: upbeat, mellow, new, and celebratory. Compared with the first leg of the US and Asia tours, some of my favorite songs from folklore and evermore were cut to make room for songs from the latest album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD). The sets, lights, costumes, and choreography were fabulous and flawless—when you do nearly one hundred shows, you can achieve that expert level of showmanship. I was delighted to see the folklore cottage crossed the Atlantic and the flames from “Bad Blood” were impressively hot!
I came away loving the last two albums, Midnights and TTPD, even more—each album now has an honest and polished sheen of emotionality that adds depth to their introspection.
While I silently begged Taylor to play “The Prophecy” during the acoustic surprise song portion (the finger picking and the lyrics!), instead, she rewarded us with a mash-up of “Speak Now” (her last tour in Spain 13 years ago) and “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” on the guitar and “I Look in People’s Windows” and “Snow on the Beach” on the piano. Those last two are consistently skips for me, but I did my best to enjoy what she offered us.
The Story of Us
I tend to get very emotional when I sing Taylor Swift songs alone, so I came prepared with tissues, fully expecting to be a teary mess at this concert. But somehow, hearing them performed live, even the sad ones, felt celebratory, polished, nostalgic, dealt with, mature, and wise. I teared up briefly when the chosen little was crowned with the “22” hat—such a sweet moment for such a little Swifty.
The best part of the concert transcended the music itself— a profound sense of awe and amplification got me. There was something magical about knowing that Taylor Swift, her team, and an audience of 65,000 fans could safely gather for such an event. I was at concert 93 of 152, one of many past, present, and future global celebrations. Singing together without the fear of spreading illness was liberating after spending so much time listening to these songs in isolation during the pandemic. In Taylor's words from her song “Mastermind,” “Once upon a time // The planets and the fates and all the stars aligned // you and I ended up in the same room at the same time.”
The Lucky One
Getting to the Eras Tour was a year-long Quixotic journey filled with uncertainty, but ultimately delivered deep joy and grand adventure. Putting the Eras Tour into words feels unjust—it is simply a sonic and emotional vibe—the ultimate, magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience for Swifties.
For those who want to go and don’t know how you’ll get there, I sincerely hope you and the fates can collaborate and achieve the impossible dream.
P.S. For more Eras Tour photos and videos, check out my Instagram: @rachel_in_spain
Read the Miss Americana in Madrid: An Eras Tour Preview
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