Well, so long, London. After 43 sold-out performances across Europe – including UK dates in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff and the capital – Taylor Swift’s colossal, record-breaking Eras tour will return to Wembley Stadium on Thursday for a final five-night run.
- What time do gates open?
- Setlist
- Secret songs
- How long is the concert?
The London dates come immediately after the singer’s three dates in Vienna, Austria were cancelled last week after intelligence services foiled an ISIS terrorist plot. Wembley has reportedly ramped up security for Swift’s London gigs, with policing minister Diana Johnson saying police will “be looking at all the intelligence” related to the shows.
The city itself is putting its sparkliest foot forward to welcome fans from around the world for the Eras tour. Pop-up events taking place over the next week range from a free ‘Taylor on Strings’ classical concert to a themed Swiftie brunch at Piccadilly restaurant Gaucho, friendship-bracelet adorned pastries at popular eatery Buns from Home and free-to-see art and murals near Wembley Park. Fans in town should also check out the , which is free to enter and features many of Swift’s costumes and props.
Of course, for those fans lucky enough to be going to Wembley – as any Swiftie knows, it was an almost-impossible task to get tickets, with millions wanting to see what my colleague, Neil McCormick, called a “six star” concert that is more akin to a religious ritual – buying tickets was only half of the battle. You (or your household’s resident Swiftie) may have planned an outfit and made the friendship bracelets, but are you ready for a three-hour extravaganza packed with secret clues and rituals?
Eras tour UK dates
Swift is playing five more dates in the UK and Ireland:
- August 15-20: London, Wembley Stadium
Here’s your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about the UK and Ireland leg of the Eras tour – past, present and future – from timings, support acts and the 46-strong setlist to potential secret songs and special guests.
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (1) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (1)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/12/TELEMMGLPICT000380943806_17182129017330_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqLEnvHKyH288mxwe4yE7YqDEsqeOfjM2GD4n7-jHxKi4.jpeg?imwidth=350)
What time do gates open?
Fans with early entry should be able to enter Wembley from 3.30pm, with general ticket holders permitted from 4pm.
Swift’s main performance will begin around 7pm (with the primary support act, Paramore, taking to the stage around 6.15pm, and the earlier opener expected around 5pm).
Which songs are on the setlist?
In order, the full setlist is as follows:
From Lover:
- Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince
- Cruel Summer
- The Man
- You Need to Calm Down
- Lover
From Fearless:
- Fearless
- You Belong With Me
- Love Story
From Red:
- 22
- We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
- I Knew You Were Trouble
- All Too Well (10 minute version)
From Speak Now:
- Enchanted
From Reputation:
- …Ready For It?
- Delicate
- Don’t Blame Me
- Look What You Made Me Do
From Folklore/Evermore:
- Cardigan
- Betty
- Champagne Problems
- August
- Illicit Affairs
- My Tears Ricochet
- Marjorie
- Willow
From 1989:
- Style
- Blank Space
- Shake It Off
- Wildest Dreams
- Bad Blood
From The Tortured Poets Department:
- But Daddy I Love Him
- So High School
- Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
- Down Bad
- Fortnight
- The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
- I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
Surprise song section (see below)
From Midnights:
- Lavender Haze
- Anti-Hero
- Midnight Rain
- Vigilante sh*t
- Bejeweled
- Mastermind
- Karma
The majority of the Eras setlist hasn’t changed since Swift kicked off the tour in Arizona last March – it still opens with Lover and ends with Midnights, spanning 46 songs and 10 albums (her poor Debut still doesn’t get a look in). But the arrival of The Tortured Poets Department back in April resulted in a predictable switch-up, with certain songs taken off the setlist (The Archer, Long Live, The 1, The Last Great American Dynasty, ’Tis the Damn Season and Tolerate It) to make room for seven from the new album.
Fans disappointed at the changes can always hold out hope that one will appear as a secret song during the acoustic set – which immediately follows The Tortured Poets Department’s section.
The secret songs played so far – and what could be next
The secret song (or acoustic) section of the show is easily the most anticipated by fans. Every night is different – although Swift has abandoned her rule from the US leg that secret songs can only be played once, unless a mistake was made – with Swift having 11 albums of material to choose from.
Swift has swapped performing two full secret songs for ‘mashups’ including, usually, two or three tracks. Here is the full list of secret songs from each UK show so far, and which could be next.
Edinburgh night one:
- Would’ve Could’ve, Should’ve/I Know Places
- ‘Tis the Damn Season/Daylight
Edinburgh night two:
- The Bolter/Getaway Car
- All of the Girls You’ve Loved Before/Crazier
Edinburgh night three:
- It’s Nice to Have a Friend/Dorothea
- Haunted/Exile
Liverpool night one:
- I Can See You/Mine
- Cornelia Street/Maroon
Liverpool night two:
- This Is What You Came For/Gold Rush
- The Great War/You’re Losing Me
Liverpool night three:
- Carolina/No Body, No Crime
- The Manuscript/Red
Cardiff:
- I Forgot That You Existed/This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
- I Hate It Here/The Lakes
London night one:
- Hits Different/Death By A Thousand Cuts
- The Black Dog/Come Back Be Here/Maroon
London night two:
- thanK you aIMee/Mean
- Castles Crumbling (with Hayley Williams)
London night three:
- Us (with Gracie Abrams)
- Out of the Woods/Is It Over Now?/Clean
Dublin night one:
- State of Grace/You’re on Your Own Kid
- Sweet Nothing/Hoax
Dublin night two:
- The Albatross/Dancing With Our Hands Tied
- This Love/Ours
Dublin night three:
- Clara Bow/The Lucky One
- You’re On Your Own Kid
Our predictions:
British fans will be delighted that London Boy and So Long, London live to see another day as potential surprise songs; surely, the first will be turned into a shorter mash-up (I can’t see her playing it in full, what with it being a love letter to her ex boyfriend - awkward) and the latter played on the final night at Wembley on August 20. There’s a few collaborations with British artists that haven’t been played yet, either: I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (featuring One Direction’s Zayn Malik), Everything Has Changed (Ed Sheeran) or Florida!!! (Florence Welch), so they’re looking likely.
How long is the concert?
Taylor Swift’s set lasts for three hours and 15 minutes: up there with career-spanning performances from Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney and The Cure.
The main show begins with the appearance of a ticking clock on stage, which counts down from a total of two minutes while songs from Lady Gaga (Applause) and Lesley Gore (You Don’t Own Me) play in the background.
Once the countdown reaches zero, dancers brandishing ginormous, pastel-hued flags walk out on stage to a backing track listing her various albums (the crowd’s biggest scream being reserved for when it says “My name is Taylor, and I was born in 1989!”). Then, the fabric flags fall to the floor, lifts and reveals Swift beneath, in the centre, ready to be hoisted up on a rising stage block to sing a short version of opener Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince (from Lover) before going straight into her biggest streaming hit, Cruel Summer.
Swift takes no substantial breaks during the three-hour plus set – aside from various outfit or stage changes in between Eras – but there are fleeting moments you can rest, including after the Speak Now section (which is a mere single song, Enchanted) which has a slightly longer interval before Swift begins to perform songs from Red. Don’t forget, either, to put on the special wristband you’re handed on entry – it flashes different colours throughout the set and can often signal surprise songs or special moments.
Prepare your friendship bracelets
Whether you’re a bona fide Swiftie or the parent or guardian of one, I guarantee you will have heard of friendship bracelets. Inspired by a lyric from Midnights’ You’re On Your Own, Kid (“So make the friendship bracelets / Take the moment and taste it”), Swift’s fans wear armfuls of homemade, largely plastic bracelets featuring beads that spell out song names or inside jokes.
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (4) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (4)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/12/TELEMMGLPICT000380892878_17182130401460_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQf0Rf_Wk3V23H2268P_XkPxc.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Then, once at the show, the fans “trade” bracelets with each other to make new friends. The internet is full of tutorials on how to make them, but if your show is drawing closer and you’re yet to make any, Amazon Prime is your best bet.
What to pack?
Despite what Gen Zs on TikTok may suggest, the Eras tour is just a concert. Thus, it doesn’t necessitate buying fancy new cameras, iPhones, earplugs or battery packs – but you would be wise to pack a jumper (it gets cold – and the ones for sale on the official merchandise will set you back around £60); those friendship bracelets, as well, of course, as your ticket.
What to wear?
Sequins, glitter, cowboy hats – anything goes, as long as you go for it. Find the link to our all-ages guide on what to wear to Swift’s Era’s tour below.
Learn the fan lyrics
If you’re lucky enough to have tickets to the Eras tour, learning 11 albums worth of songs – plus the Vault tracks from her ‘Taylor’s Version’ rerecords – might seem like an impossible task. Unluckily, it’s not just Swift’s 274 official singles (46 of which make up the setlist) that you need to know, because the crowd adds special lines to multiple songs.
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (5) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (5)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/12/TELEMMGLPICT000380913198_17182160514640_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqyKbbTIvVbvqvypOgwykjr5UZHdSKL0ReEgurepYFQIE.jpeg?imwidth=350)
During Delicate, from Reputation, fans yell the chant “One, two, three, let’s go b—h!” after she sings “We can’t make any promises, now can we, babe?” Chart-topping revenge anthem Bad Blood, meanwhile, taken from 2014’s 1989, sees fans screech the end of the line “You forgive / You forget / But you never let it go”. Swift’s knowing winks during the songs indicate she knows exactly what the crowd is gearing up for.
Who are the support acts?
US pop-rock band Paramore are the primary support act for all UK Eras shows, and typically begin their 45-minute set at 6.15pm. There are extra support acts for the final five shows at Wembley Stadium: Sofia Isella (15 August), Holly Humberstone (16 August), Suki Waterhouse (17 August), Maisie Peters (19 August) and Raye (20 August).
Standout moments so far – concert by concert
The Eras tour is a tightly-run ship revolving around immaculate choreography, a watertight setlist and a performer renowned for her professionalism, but that doesn’t mean every single night is the same. The weather can be temperamental, Swift could bring out a special guest, or you might just spot your favourite A-lister lurking within the crowd (or, more likely, the coveted VIP tent in front of the sound desk). And of course, there’s the secret song section, for which we’ve dedicated a separate section above this one.
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (6) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (6)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/12/TELEMMGLPICT000380927167_17182122885850_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqGCFnY5CBHWI78lJ6SDaU5aCbiQ2asCseJNkU880OQtY.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Edinburgh: Night One
Fans present at the opening show in Edinburgh were quick to record the moment Swift had to take a break from performing Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve on acoustic guitar – as part of the secret songs set – because of a pesky hand-cramp. As Swift put it: “My hand has frozen in a weird way. This has never happened before!”
Videos of her shivering on stage suggest the reliably-volatile Scottish weather was to blame. Another highlight came courtesy of her backing dancer Kam, recently in the news for his decision to buy a kilt (after worrying it was cultural appropriation), who contributes a city-specific line to We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Edinburgh’s first one being “Ya wee raj”. Think of it as Taylor does Trainspotting.
— Scottish Gas Murrayfield (@MurrayfieldStad) June 8, 2024'The wildest way to welcome a lass' 🏴
An incredible start to Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour#EdinburghTSTheEraTour
Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management pic.twitter.com/mC8A6VCpr2
Edinburgh: Night Two
Proving that the secret song section is truly what gets the crowd (and internet) talking, Swift’s decision to perform Crazier, a track taken from 2009’s Hannah Montana: The Movie – that she has never played live before – had Swifties around the globe hyperventilating, not least because its inclusion suggested it will appear on the rerecording of her debut album.
Elsewhere, fans of Amazon Prime Video’s hit Outlander would have been wise to peer towards the VIP tent, where the show’s cast – including Sam Heughan – were busy dancing the night away.
Edinburgh: Night Three
Scottish singer Nina Nesbitt, who watched the third show from the VIP tent, shared a moving message on Instagram about her long-term love for Swift. The 29-year-old, who hails from West Lothian, wrote: “It was so special to hear the songs that made me want to pick up a guitar back in the place I’m from”.
Swift’s influence was also keenly felt during her surprise performance of Exile, in which the crowd – all 73,000 of them – dutifully sang Bon Iver’s parts of the song; you can see her joy in videos from the performance in which she’s grinning, in disbelief, that this many people know her music this inside-out.
Liverpool: Night One
You’ll be surprised to learn that Liverpool’s biggest Swiftie is not, in fact, a random teenage girl singing along to Fearless in her bedroom. Jurgen Klopp, the former Reds manager, who has spoken of his love for Swift’s music before, showed up on the first night at Anfield (wearing pink heart-shaped sunglasses, no less) to show his support. Elsewhere, Swift performed I Can See You, a Vault track from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), as the first secret song - fitting given it was filmed in the city last year. No appearance from Sir Paul McCartney - also an avid Swiftie - but there’s two nights left…
Klopp wearing pink Taylor Swift heart glasses, what a man 🥰🥰🥰🥰 pic.twitter.com/9kh7YVitjx
— Karen (@Karen31_x) June 13, 2024
Swift used her 100th Eras Tour show to confirm that the tour will end this year, ending speculation that more dates would be added. “The celebration of the 100th show for me means this is the very first time I’ve acknowledged to myself and admitted that this tour is going to end in December. Like, that’s it,” she told the rain-sodden crowd at Anfield. “I think that this tour has really become my entire life,” she said during her intro to All Too Wel. “It’s taken over everything. I think I once had hobbies, but I don’t know what they were anymore.
“All I do when I’m not on stage is sit at home and try to think of clever acoustic song mash-ups and think about what you might want to hear.”
Liverpool: Night Two
Stood just a few heads back from where Swift was seated for the surprise songs set, nothing could have prepared me for the first track: This Is What You Came For, the 2016 hit originally performed by Calvin Harris and Rihanna – that Swift wrote. It will surely be on Reputation (Taylor’s Version); Harris, Swift’s superstar DJ ex-boyfriend, clearly couldn’t be bothered to deal with the social media attention, because he deleted his account on X after this performance. I’ve seen Swift on multiple tours, in wildly different stages of her career, but seeing her on Eras – so confident and self-assured – is a privilege.
British rising star Griff, who will open for Swift on the second night at Wembley, was also present - warning that “if I don’t have a voice next week at Wembley it’s because I lost it at Eras a week early.”
Liverpool: Night Three
A highlight of the Red set is always We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, when Swift’s dancer Kem tries out his best local slang. The third night in Scouseland saw him listen to the TikTok advice and yell “Jog on lad,” much to the delight of the crowd. The Red trend continued through to the surprise songs, when Swift performed the title track from that album – an ode to love, but for one night only, Liverpool FC. Or, of course, the Kansas City Chiefs.
A special mention goes to the Swifties who dedicated a selection of friendship bracelets to victims of the Hillsborough disaster.
Bracelets laid by Taylor Swift fans on the Hillsborough Memorial at Anfield today pic.twitter.com/RsDNCDTy8L
— Iain Watts (@iainwattsphoto) June 15, 2024
Cardiff
Swift had obviously been doing her homework before heading to the Welsh capital’s Principality Stadium, as she uttered a number of Welsh phrases throughout the gig, from “Shwmae Cardiff” (Hello Cardiff) to “Croeso I daith Eras” (Welcome to the Eras tour) and “Un, dau, tri, pedwar” (1, 2, 3, 4). Fan favourite dancer Kam, meanwhile, went for “ych a fi!” (gross) during We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. As the only indoor/closed-roof concert of the UK leg of Eras, meanwhile, some fans in Cardiff were left disappointed there was no firework display during Karma, the closing song.
London: Night One
The first night in the capital was always going to be starry, and Wembley certainly didn’t disappoint. Swift’s boyfriend, the NFL star Travis Kelce, showed up with his brother Jason, along with supermodel Cara Delevingne, fashion designer Stella McCartney, actresses Rosamund Pike, Salma Hayek and Nicola Coughlan and even Labour leader Keir Starmer (with his wife, Victoria). Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales opted to celebrate his 42nd birthday at the show, watching from a private box with his children.
'Swift' campaign pitstop. pic.twitter.com/VdSo7Pb0i5
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 21, 2024
As always, the surprise songs segment proved a winner, as Swift launched into The Black Dog, for the first time ever, which was inspired by her past visits to an unassuming boozer in Vauxhall. Swift has always had a special relationship with London, having lived here for a time when she was dating British actor Joe Alwyn, meaning her first night at Wembley (she has played at the stadium before, as part of 2018’s Reputation tour) was always going to be special. Little wonder she called it “the most exhilarating city in the world”! She even got the weather to bend to her every whim, with the day’s rare sun giving way to rain during Midnight Rain.
Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start 🇬🇧🇺🇸🤝 @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/VlD6V0PiEL
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 22, 2024
London: Night Two
The second night at Wembley took a look at Friday’s guestlist and said oh no, you’re not getting away with that. Two future Kings and a (potential) future Prime Minister had nothing on the second night’s VIP guests: Tom Cruise, Greta Gerwig, Liam Hemsworth, Rachel Zegler, Jamie Dornan, Hugh Grant (eating a bag of carrots in the VIP tent, no less), Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Emily Maitlis, Beth Mead and, again, Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce (seemingly with his full family in tow).
Tom Cruise at Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' in London. pic.twitter.com/IM5zuFRtzh
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) June 22, 2024
The show turned into a “who’s who” of Hollywood, but it was the appearance of Swift’s beloved mother, Andrea - who got choked up by a hero’s welcome from fans - that touched the heartstrings. Eighteen years of guiding her daughter later, and she’s the biggest popstar in the world, her tickets a hotter commodity than gas or oil (*kind of).
even after all these years, she is so touched by the love of her daughter's fans, and so incredibly proud of taylor's impact. 🥹🫶🏻💜 pic.twitter.com/2fOjuRkaqn
— swiftie wins (@swifferwins) June 22, 2024
Also, the secret song choices made this path even more poignant: first up was thanK you aIMee (the capitalised letters spell out Kim, widely thought to be a reference to former nemesis Kim Kardashian) crossed with Mean, Swift’s Grammy-winning country single about classmate jibes and irrelevant haters from Speak Now, where she swapped the lyrics to “Someday I’ll be singing this song at Wembley”. Then came a long-awaited duet with Paramore’s Hayley Williams for Castles Crumbling, also from Speak Now, a sparkling showcase for both women’s talents - and mutual respect and adoration.
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (7) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (7)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/23/TELEMMGLPICT000382952894_17191345677180_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqDKGDQpemwFDOZcDYGh2bvlFx7oZS3G0ps1JcMwBJxFI.jpeg?imwidth=350)
London: Night Three
Travis Kelce appearing on stage as one of Swift’s backing performers for I Can Do It With A Broken Heart! The Sir Paul McCartney trading friendship bracelets from the VIP tent, where he was hanging out with daughter Stella! Swift bringing close friend Gracie Abrams out to sing Us, their collaboration from Abrams’s new album. Once again, it was the VIP guests who got the crowd talking: Macca at the top, closely followed by Jon Bon Jovi, Ellie Goulding, Sophie Turner, Cate Blanchett, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Andrew Scott and Piers Morgan.
Paul McCartney dancing with fans to But Daddy I Love Him 😭😭😭😭 #LondonTSTheErasTour @taylornation13 pic.twitter.com/Dcy6iXEtfV
— Zoe 🤍 (@camdenswiftt) June 23, 2024
Swift also made a few pointed comments about the pitfalls of playing live (during the 10 minute-long All Too Well, she stopped for a few seconds, saying “I swallowed a bug, can you sing?”), and the talents of her extensive live band, seemingly in response to disparaging comments made by Dave Grohl in London the day before. At a Foo Fighters gig at the London Stadium, Grohl warned the crowd “Be nice! You don’t want the Swifties after you” before suggesting Swift doesn’t sing live at her live shows.
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (8) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (8)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/24/TELEMMGLPICT000383119433_17192195503930_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqX7pHcCCmtgwidDdHSvx2cF5NUcTKNHKqy85KLqtvPLE.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Dublin: Night One
Swift was welcomed to Dublin with a bunch of flowers from her old friends – and “Irish fan club” – U2. “Already feeling that Irish hospitality!!” she posted on Instagram. She paid tribute to the “folklore” of Ireland and there were Irish references sprinkled throughout the evening, from a “haon, dó, trí, ceathair” countdown in I Can Do It With a Broken Heart to costume changes in the colours of the Irish flag. Paramore singer Hayley Williams also wore a Cranberries t-shirt for her support set.
Dublin: Night Two
Graham Norton showed up at the second Dublin date, with the presenter writing on Instagram that the show was “off the scale fabulous” and calling Swift a “class act in every way”. We wonder if he’s gunning for another appearance from Swift on his famous red sofa back in London; after all, she’s featured many times over the years. In August, ahead of the final Wembley shows, perhaps?
Dublin: Night Three
With Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks (who is currently on her own tour) watching on, Swift performed Clara Bow from The Tortured Poets Department for the first time. Introducing the song, which includes the lyric “You look like Stevie Nicks”, Swift said: “The reason I want to play this tonight is because a friend of mine is here who is watching the show and who has really been one of the reasons why I or any female artist gets to do what we get to do. She’s paved the way for us. And she’s mentored so many artists. I can’t tell you how rare that is. She’s a hero of mine and also someone that I can tell her any secret and she would never tell anybody. She’s really helped me through so much over the years.” Then, Swift sang You’re On Your Own Kid in full, a song Nicks previously said helped her to process the death of her bandmate, Christine McVie. Nicks was seen wiping away tears from the VIP tent during the performance. Hollywood actress Julia Roberts was also in attendance.
Stevie Nicks recording Taylor Swift as she dedicates a song to her and you want me to listen to stan twitter vibes?!?! THIS IS REAL LIFE pic.twitter.com/kqCNHDiF6b
— ✩ CEL ✩ (@moonlithoax) June 30, 2024
Potential special guests
Swift has brought a number of famous guests on stage to sing with her throughout the Eras tour – typically artists with feature credits on her songs. The National’s Aaron Dessner, who produced much of her lockdown albums Folklore and Evermore, appeared in Santa Clara, California, to perform melodic break-up ballad Right Where You Left Me. The National are in Europe throughout the summer for festivals, so he could make a surprise appearance again.
Then there’s sister-indie trio HAIM, who are personal close friends with Swift and featured on No Body, No Crime. Pictures of them out for a meal in London with Swift (and other famous faces, including Kate Moss, Lena Dunham and Andrew Scott) suggest they could make an appearance.
Other potential secret guests range from Lana Del Rey (who sang on Snow on the Beach, and is in the UK in August for Reading and Leeds festivals), Ed Sheeran (Everything Has Changed), Jack Antonoff (Getaway Car and more) and Zayn Malik (I Don’t Wanna Live Forever). All are probable, since Swift already brought out Paramore’s Hayley Williams for their collaboration, Castles Crumbling, and Gracie Abrams (for Us).
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (10) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (10)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/24/TELEMMGLPICT000383099359_17192238563060_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqDfH7F16Xk0VA0Enc8HeGHpgojZYlP8f0i9h2tPqCNsM.jpeg?imwidth=350)
The secrets to look out for – and what they all mean
Ask any Taylor Swift fan what the secret to her colossal success is, and you might be surprised by their answer. Her emotionally vulnerable lyrics and 11 chart-topping studio albums come into play, of course, but it’s her Easter eggs – the secret clues she hides in her songs – that have established her as an unprecedented force in the music industry. And she’s done the same with the Eras concert, filling it with clues, tips and tricks hidden behind certain stages, lyrics or costumes that throw light on her life, her passions and her songs. Here we interpret it all for you.
The show opens with Lover – to mark Taylor’s creative rebirth …
Released in 2019, Swift’s seventh studio album was meant to get the full bells and whistles treatment: chart-topping singles (Me!, You Need to Calm Down, Lover and The Man) and a sold-out tour (“Lover Fest” was supposed to be a worldwide phenomenon, that included a show at London’s BST Hyde Park). Lover was also intended to mark a creative rebirth for Swift, whose popularity had waned following public spats with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian (that resulted in 2017’s Reputation).
Instead, Covid arrived, the tour was cancelled, and some of the singles flopped (although the album did feature Cruel Summer, surprisingly now her biggest, most-streamed hit). Swift had multiple reasons to open the Eras tour with the Lover section, and track Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince. The album was her first record to be entirely hers – following her legal battle with former record label Big Red Machine, that has seen her rerecord much of her back catalogue – and it never got its glory days because of the pandemic, so she seems to be picking up where she left off.
Some fans have even construed the choice to be aimed at former boyfriend Joe Alwyn, who she reportedly broke up with in March 2023 (the same month the Eras tour kicked off in the US), with Swift the all-American golden girl and he, the brooding British actor, the prince who wound up breaking her heart.
… Then the house burns down
For much of the Lover section, Swift performs on stage in front of a huge glass house with rooms nodding at previous music videos or Eras. As the titular track ends and she prepares to move into the Fearless era, the house bursts into fake flames and looks like it is burning down on stage. Could it symbolise the breakdown of her relationship with Alwyn, an end to her romantic side, or a potential hiatus post-Eras tour?
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (12) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (12)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/12/TELEMMGLPICT000380336054_17182144288060_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqXW5jbaVriFpHFNZrgcOJtrUPjgFzW0N6FiWZRSkyfLg.jpeg?imwidth=350)
The Fearless dance
Nostalgia forms the heart of the Eras tour. Over two decades, Swift has released 11 studio albums packed with hits – from Love Story to We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – and made billions of dollars from her music. The tour itself is a celebration of this (as Swift announces at the beginning: “We are about to go on a little adventure together”), as well as her old and new fans. The second part of the show is dedicated to 2008’s country gem Fearless – which won her first Grammy for Album of the Year – and features multiple nods to her younger years and earlier performances, including the jump and spin dance and heart sign she makes with her hands during the title song.
The meaningful outfits
Colours are important in Taylor Swift’s World, because each album is colour-coded (gold for Fearless, purple for Speak Now, black for Reputation, etc). Those signifiers form the heart of many fans’ chosen outfits for the tour, but also Swift’s own style choices on stage. When she announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in Los Angeles on August 9, she swapped her usual outfits for blue variants (1989’s colour) throughout the show. The show’s newest Era, dedicated to 11th album The Tortured Poets Department, sees her wear a toned-down spin on a circus ringmaster outfit for I Can Do It With a Broken Heart (a knowing nod to her 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards outfit) – a song about powering through heartbreak to dazzle fans and critics – while the logo on the t-shirt she wears during 22 (from Red) changes depending on the show.
One particular outfit to keep an eye on is the black and red, snake-emblazoned sequin catsuit she wears during the Reputation era – because it’s the only outfit that hasn’t changed since the beginning of the tour.
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart – and the Reputation glass boxes
ICDIWABH, mentioned above, is a defiant, gloriously poppy middle finger-up to anyone who thought Swift would buckle under the pressure of heartbreak and fame. “They said, “Babe, you gotta fake it ‘til you make it” and I did,” she sings. “Lights, camera, bitch smile, even when you wanna die”. The staging itself involves a motionless Swift, lying on the ground after performing The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, being picked up by two grinning circus masters, who strip her dress and replace it with the ringmaster outfit. After flopping and falling around like a ragdoll, Swift suddenly jerks to life and bursts into song – a true professional, at whatever personal cost.
During the Reputation section, meanwhile, and in particular Look What You Made Me Do, Swift performs in front of a collection of glass boxes containing dancers dressed in similar costumes to ones worn throughout her career. The song itself, which was originally aimed at West and Kardashian, is Swift’s way of standing up for herself in front of an industry who expected her to be the meek, good-girl country star, instead of a powerful woman. Taken together, the imagery of both songs (ICDIWABH and LWYMMD) supports this – Swift seeing herself as someone who hasn’t been allowed to grow up, whose entire adolescence (and now, adulthood) was catered to pleasing the public.
The 22 hat
Taken from her fourth studio album, 2012’s Red, 22 marked a musical switch for Swift from country to pure pop. During her performance of the song at the Eras tour, she storms down the long stage with her crew of backing dancers to reach one lucky fan at the other end, who is handed the black (personally signed) trilby she wears during the performance (and wore in the original video).
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (14) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (14)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/12/TELEMMGLPICT000380913196_17182144854600_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqN4ePBoE4ef7kaLHd_OTbY9HhMh81Y8GqX3ipA8YMo0k.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Fans looking to secure the hat would be best to direct their attention to the Taylor Nation social media accounts – allegedly run by a combination of 13 Management, her mother Andrea and father Scott – who personally choose the recipient. One such lucky fan was the late basketball player’s Kobe Bryant’s young daughter, Bianka, who was handed the hat (and embraced) by Swift in Los Angeles.
The Folklore house
Between the pop-tastic anthems of Red and 1989, Swift brings down the tempo for the Folklore section (twinned with Evermore on the European leg). The album, which she wrote and released during the pandemic, was a critical darling; co-written with and produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, it marked a switch from pop to a more indie, mature sound. During the set, she performs songs from Folklore and Evermore from atop a grassy woodland cabin (inspired by her 2021 Grammy performance) that is also home to the moss-covered piano where she sits and performs Champagne Problems.
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (15) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (15)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/12/TELEMMGLPICT000380916361_17182153526720_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqeawYjNG9i94uIDjxO1F-gtHhMh81Y8GqX3ipA8YMo0k.jpeg?imwidth=350)
So High School’s ode to Travis Kelce
When Swift began the Eras tour, she was newly single and heartbroken, tearing up on stage while performing for songs she had written in honour of former beau Joe Alwyn. Since then, she’s released The Tortured Poets Department, another break-up album widely interpreted to be about Matty Healy, the 1975 frontman who she dated afterwards.
![Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (16) Taylor Swift Eras tour: Wembley setlist and everything you need to know (16)](https://i0.wp.com/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/music/2024/06/12/TELEMMGLPICT000380011584_17182135330280_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwekapBZ1c_8650LP5YH00zA.jpeg?imwidth=350)
But her current boyfriend, the NFL star Travis Kelce, has no reason to fear, because he gets his love story during So High School. Swift only sings part of the song, which is about her falling head over heels for this teenage-kind of love (and includes the line “You know how to ball / I know Aristotle”), but the accompanying dance is the clearest nod to Kelce. She and her backing dancers sit atop makeshift bleachers and “swag surf” – a waving motion typically used at US sporting events, that she was seen doing during a Kansas City Chiefs game earlier this year.
The Bejeweled TikTok dance
It’s easy to attribute the unprecedented success of the Eras tour to the rise of TikTok. The day after the tour began in Arizona in March 2023, I had seen it in its entirety – from my bedroom in London – thanks to people live-streaming from the concert, or uploading multiple videos. Since then, of course, there has been the blockbuster concert film, but the video sharing platform offered the first opportunity for international fans (or those who couldn’t afford tickets) to see the show.
TikTok even provided Swift with a free choreographer. New Jersey-based creator Mikael Arellano went viral in 2022 with his dance to Bejeweled, the ninth track from Midnights, where he shimmies and shakes his hands and body to the chorus. It racked up billions of views and sure enough, when the Eras tour opened, Swift and her dancers did the same dance. As a way of saying thank you, Arellano was even called up to accept the much-fêted 22 hat in May 2023.
Recommended
Taylor Swift Eras tour: The definitive review