"When I attended The Eras Tour in the summer of 2023, my main takeaway wasn’t about the music, the costumes, or even the crowds. I had a realization: This is what the world would look like if it were run by women.
Not necessarily in the literal sense: As much as I would love to live in a perpetual blur of sequins and friendship bracelets, I know that isn’t the stuff of real life, regardless of who is running the show. But I couldn’t help but notice all the ways this massive-scale event looked unlike any other I’d ever attended: There was no fighting, no destruction, no danger, no mess. Not only that, but there was a sense of community among concertgoers that I had never experienced before. I’ve never felt so safe in a crowd because I knew that the entire crowd was there to celebrate the same with me: our shared love of Taylor Swift.
Swift held her final concert in Vancouver on December 8, and as The Eras Tour closes, I find myself reflecting on what a massive cultural impact this tour created. Though no one can say for sure, I suspect that The Eras Tour will go down in history as one of the most empowering social movements for girls and women in the 2020s. Will there ever be another Eras Tour? Regardless of whether Swift tours again or not, here are some of the things that made The Eras Tour stand out.
The Eras Tour was more than just a concert
I don’t think anyone would dispute the fact that The Eras Tour was a phenomenon, not just a concert. Sure, there are the numbers (the tour raked in over $2 billion), but the impact extends far beyond the record-shattering statistics that made headlines seemingly weekly throughout the tour. What The Eras Tour meant to Swifties, both new and old, is the real legacy of this massive in-person sensation.
Like many Millennial women, I grew up thinking girlhood was a weakness. I internalized the idea that so many of the things I enjoyed were silly, frivolous, or childish. When The Eras Tour came along, suddenly we all saw it right up close: Girlhood is actually incredibly powerful. The things that girls and women care about remain underestimated time and time again. In the summer of 2023, as The Eras Tour moved through the U.S. in tandem with the release of the Barbie movie and Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour, respect for “feminine” interests skyrocketed. With The Eras Tour, it was indisputable: The tour revived local economies and shaped global trends. It proved that a celebration of femininity can be the ultimate power move.
“It’s because you guys have made this into something completely unrecognizable from anything I’ve ever done in my life with your traditions, with your passion, with the way you care about this tour.” —Taylor Swift
People will tell you it’s silly to plan an outfit for a concert months in advance… but refuse to examine the economic impact of all the outfits purchased for the show. They’ll tell you it’s unwise to travel overseas for a show… but fail to consider the tourism revenue you’re generating. They’ll tell you it’s childish to make and trade friendship bracelets… but neglect to see that young girls started their very first entrepreneurial ventures by selling those bracelets to afford merch when attending a show.
The subculture of the tour changed the internet
The subculture of this tour gave so many women permission to reach within and tell the young girls who live still inside them that it’s OK to enjoy what they enjoy unapologetically. There’s something so validating about seeing all the things that have always been underestimated—like pop music, putting together a fun outfit, making friendship bracelets, and posting on social media—take something huge and make it even more massive.
Within the subculture of The Eras Tour, we found proof: All those things we were supposed to leave behind in order to be considered “serious” can actually make us even more powerful. Throughout the tour, comments sections on social media became more supportive; thousands of viewers packed live streams; “I love your Eras Tour outfit” became a popular sound on TikTok. In a digital landscape that is, by nature, hostile to women and girls, seeing the outpouring of support within the fandom throughout The Eras Tour was nothing short of magical.
The Eras Tour gave us IRL community
The timing of The Eras Tour couldn’t have been better: We’d just come off of a global pandemic that completely changed the way we interacted with the world around us. We were wondering if the massive-scale in-person event would ever fully come back, and it took a massive star like Swift to reinitiate this type of gathering. Of course, the pandemic didn’t just change the rules of in-person gatherings; it also made us less social and more introverted.
But The Eras Tour was all about restoring a sense of community. There’s nothing quite like gathering with thousands of people who share a common love, singing the same songs at the same time, admiring each other’s outfits, helping one another get the perfect photo, and, of course, trading friendship bracelets.
Fandom can be a powerful thing—a connective force that unites us. Fandom can also be toxic and drama-filled, yet this particular tour didn’t feel divisive or hateful. That’s thanks, I think, to the fact that we had all been needing a cultural movement like this one for so long. We needed something to get excited about, something to make us feel seen and powerful in person—and that’s what The Eras Tour did.
Taylor Swift taught us how to celebrate our accomplishments
Obviously, the songwriting chops, ever-present Easter eggs, and an unmatched work ethic are major keys to Taylor Swift’s success. However, The Eras Tour showed me that there’s something bigger at work, and I think it comes down, in large part, to her willingness to constantly reflect.
“Swift celebrated her own evolution while inspiring us all to look back on our past selves fondly.”
In her iconic speech explaining The Eras Tour, Swift explained that she had to think of a new way to approach touring in a post-pandemic world, especially considering how musically prolific she’d been through that time. It seems like a crazy idea for a young artist to do what is essentially a retrospective tour spanning so many different genres of music and phases of life, but that’s the genius of it. There’s been a lot of confusion about Taylor Swift’s brand over the years. But what if her brand is less about the kind of music she makes and more about her innate understanding of the female experience?
Swift knows that she’s grown up alongside us. She understands that she was a girl under a microscope who became a woman in the spotlight. She gets that she receives criticism for not choosing a lane, and she also gets that all women have to fight against the world’s constant desire to box us in. Instead of fighting against that, she embraces it.
Swift also celebrated her own evolution while inspiring us all to look back on our past selves fondly. We can contain multitudes—and it doesn’t have to be about changing who we are entirely; it can just be about moving from one era to the next.
The Eras Tour will be remembered for its cultural impact
As Swift put it, fans lovingly shaped the legacy of The Eras Tour. In her closing night speech, Swift reflected on this: “It’s because you guys have made this into something completely unrecognizable from anything I’ve ever done in my life with your traditions, with your passion, with the way you care about this tour,” she said. “It’s unparalleled. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
I think many of us would agree: We’ve never seen or experienced anything like The Eras Tour. Ideally, someday, something else comes around that is just as culturally empowering for girls and women. In the meantime, though, it’s worth remembering The Eras Tour for what it was: a feminist movement.
I look forward to seeing how history remembers this moment in time, this massive cultural force. Hopefully, this era will get the credit it deserves, and its legacy will convey not just the numbers and the stats and the records the tour broke but also give future generations a sense of how The Eras Tour moved audiences and made women feel limitless.
Maybe that’s a tall order. But I was there, and I can confirm: It was rare. And the memory of standing in a stadium full of sequins and sparkles, thrusting friendship-bracelet-clad arms in the air to scream “F the patriarchy” in unison, is one I’ll hold on to.
Zara Hanawalt, Contributing Writer
Zara Hanawalt is a freelance journalist with bylines in Glamour, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and more. She has been writing for The Everygirl since 2018. Her work focuses on pop culture, internet culture, and empowering women in the entertainment landscape.