Taylor Swift at MCG
Photo Credit: TAS Rights Management
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has undeniably made its mark on the world since its announcement back in 2022. The phenomenon has shattered countless records and created a demand for tickets previously unheard of around the world. Since kicking off the tour a year ago, we’ve been delighted to see fans in each country spend some quality time with one of their favourite global superstars. Taylor Swift kicked off the Australian leg of her Eras Tour in Melbourne by performing to the biggest crowds of her almost two-decade-long-career performing to 96,000 adoring fans – 3 nights in a row. Swifties flocked from all over the country (and overseas) to witness history seeing Taylor at a more-than-sold-out MCG to witness the award-winning singer-songwriter’s groundbreaking tour in all its glory. With (seemingly) all of Melbourne trying to make their way into the arena, and even more fans ‘Taylor-gating’ the venue, the atmosphere at the G was like no other, as punters of all ages, from different eras, waited for the show they’d seen all over social media and from the tour’s concert film. We were honoured and thrilled to be invited to the tour’s opening night in Melbourne – which easily topped the biggest stadium show we’d ever been to, and what would be one of the best concert experiences we’d ever have.
Opening the night was singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter, whose sugary sweet pop tracks were the perfect start off the night. Starting off with Read Your Mind, Feather, and Vicious, Sabrina commanded the stage and pulled everyone to their feet to bop along with her. From the get-go, it was clear that Sabrina is an experienced performer and had the audience singing along to all of her songs at the top of their lungs. Taking a moment to address the crowd with a ‘Melbourne is that you?… It’s happening. It’s real!’, Sabrina expressed her gratitude to be supporting Taylor, with a ‘I feel so lucky to be in her presence, and every single person here’. It was refreshing to see how important the night was, both to the audience and Sabrina as the opening act.
The next song Already Over was dedicated to those in a situationship, and she slowed the set down for Tornado Warnings, and one of Sabrina’s favourites with opposite. Letting the audience know they might know the next song, Sabrina performs a cover of Hopelessly Devoted to You, before picking up the pace immediately for Fast Times. Dropping hints for the next song coming up, because i liked a boy goes wild as the audience take things to another level – showing us a hint of what’s to come. Waving farewell to the audience, Carpenter tells us ‘sucks we don’t have any more songs…’ before turning mischievously to the camera and launching into set-closer and mega-hit Nonsense, which the stadium all chime in to belt out. In what is the perfect start to a big night ahead, Sabrina absolutely understands the assignment and warms up the crowd for each of the Eras ahead.
The wait for the main event seemed to go by quickly, which was helped by the fact that the stadium was full of die-hard fans who were dressed in their favourite eras. The sense of community was unrivalled, as punters bonded over their costumes, and traded friendship bracelets. Before long, a clock and countdown appear onstage, and the audience begins to count down the minutes. The clock strikes 12, as a cacophony of overlaid tracks (Fearless, evermore, Lavender Haze and Bejeweled, to name a few) play while swirling material swims around the stage. Taylor Swift seeming materialises out of thin air, and everyone collectively loses their minds as she starts off the show with the Lover era – a shortened version of Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince and Cruel Summer marking the start of the show. ‘Oh Melbourne, just look at you!’ Taylor exclaims, as she takes a moment to take in the stadium, ‘I’m just taking a mental picture for myself, for any time I feel sad.’ An office setting rises from the depths of the stage, as Taylor slips on a sparkling blazer over her body suit, and she struts to a desk for The Man. With backup dancers flanking her, You Need to Calm Down goes off without a hitch, before exclaiming ‘I am overjoyed to say these words to you right now – Melbourne, welcome to the Eras Tour!’ The pace slows down for Lover and The Archer. It’s at this particular point in the show that we forget that there are 96,000 other people at the venue – based on how intimate the show feels.
We’re taken back to 2008 for the Fearless era, as Taylor returns to the stage in a fringed dress for the album’s title track, in which the audience raises their heart hands at the song’s climax. You Belong With Me and Love Story really took us back to being in high school, and has everyone feeling nostalgic. With the stage lit up like her bedazzled guitar, the audience sing along to every word for the brief trip into the Fearless era.
Trees sprout from the back of the stage, as the show transforms itself for the evermore era – a rich forest setting the scene for Swift’s second folk album. Walking onstage wearing a flowing yellow dress, Taylor started off the era with ’tis the damn season and willow, which saw her in an emerald cloak, complete with backup dancers staging a witching moment. marjorie hit hard, followed by the gut punch that is champagne problems, which before playing, Taylor tells everyone ‘when you have put out so many albums, you have to think outside the box… I really want to hear 96,000 people sing champagne problems‘. The song finishes, and Taylor sits in awe at her piano, taking a moment to herself as she begins tearing up. Seen mouthing ‘you see this shit?’, her disbelief at the intensity of the audience is visible. There’s plenty of audience members tearing up (some even sobbing) at this point; so the fact that the emotional tolerate it is next just drives home the incredible album that got a lot of us through the lockdowns and pandemic.
While we’re all wiping away our tears, a snake flashes across the screen, and the hype for the reputation era begins. The slow build-up to …Ready for It? pushes the audience to their limits, and features some of the show’s coolest effects. Decked out in a black and red snake-themed bodysuit, Swift’s bad-assery is in full swing, as she runs through the hard-hitting track, which is followed up by the dancy Delicate. The era comes to a peak with the gospel-driven Don’t Blame Me, and revenge hit Look What You Made Me Do; both seeing Taylor and her dancers being elevated on the stage, while the bass-heavy beats have the audience dancing along.
The stage is awash in purple, as the bridge of Enchanted plays over the backdrop. Walking out onstage in a purple ballgown, Taylor takes us back in time to the Speak Now era, as she launches into power ballad Enchanted. When it comes time for the song’s bridge, once again, the stadium is filled with screams of ‘please don’t be in love with someone else’. Long Live saw Swift grabbing her guitar again; performing the song as a ‘thank you’ to the audience, who relished in singing along to each word.
A backup dancer pushes a red chest onto the stage, before opening it to snippets of State of Grace, Holy Ground and Red; signalling the next era. Taylor struts back onto stage, this time dressed as a 2012 hipster – shorts, oversized tee and a felt hat included. The opening notes of 22 start up, and the singalongs start for what is one of our favourite Swift eras. Gifting her hat to a young audience member, Taylor quickly strips off her oversized t-shirt to reveal a red, bedazzled bodysuit underneath, before the party keeps going with We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and I Knew You Were Trouble – the ultimate breakup songs. ‘Are we having fun so far in the Red era?’ asks Taylor. ‘There’s one more song I’m hoping to play from Red. Do you happen to have 10 minutes to spare?’ The audience’s reaction is priceless, and only means one thing – All Too Well. Taylor sticks to her promise and before we know it, we’re all singing along to every. single. word.
It’s at this point of the show that we’re well into the depths of Swift’s career, as the next era, folklore, begins to take shape onstage. A cabin emerges, and Swift slowly makes her way onto the roof of it in a floor-length, flowing green dress, looking like she’s just stepped out of a fairytale. Lying on the roof, she starts off with the 1 and betty, pausing between songs to talk about how proud she was of the 2020 album, and the story behind its fictitious characters and their teenage love triangle. folklore was a major turning point for Swift, as well as for many new fans who jumped on board the fandom during the pandemic, so to see such an incredible production put together for this era was really something. the last great american dynasty saw dancers twirling across the stage as Swift told the story of socialite Rebekah Harkness, while she sang throughout the rooms of the cabin. The emotional august seamlessly transitioned into the climactic bridge of illicit affairs, with the audience screaming along ‘don’t call me kid, don’t call me baby’ – the stage awash in black and white footage. Slowing down the pace, my tears ricochet brought the audience into a steady sway, as the wristbands handed out on entry lit up around the stadium. With the era coming to a close, Taylor finishes up with cardigan, and the audience just can’t get enough.
The lead up to 1989 is filled with plenty of retro, Tron-esque effects and a synth-heavy intro. The opening riff of Style rings out across the stadium and Taylor appears onstage in a beaded, two-piece – the audience belting out each word with her. Blank Space was an era highlight, with Swift and her dancers waving light-up crowbars around and ‘smashing’ a car during the song’s bridge. But it’s Shake It Off that has everyone dancing harder than ever – the stadium thundering with the sound of 96,000 pairs of feet jumping along. A shorter take on Wildest Dreams and the sass-riddled Bad Blood marked the end of the 1989 era, complete with pyro effects and sparklers.
‘Melbourne, welcome to the acoustic section. This is my favourite part of the night’, Taylor tells us. With guitar in hand, the first surprise song is Red, before she sits down at a piano for the first-ever live performance of You’re Losing Me – from the Late Night Edition of Midnights. For the first time that night, the audience turned their dials down a tad, to take in the full acoustic experience. Given the scale and milestone of Swift’s Melbourne show, she takes a minute to announce a different edition of her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, aptly named The Bolter Edition. At this point, we’re hanging on to every word, and hanging out for that April 19 release date.
The transition to Midnights was one of the main talking points after the first Eras show back in March 2023. The crowd, almost in disbelief, watches Taylor jump into a pool, swim across the stage, climb out of the water, go up a ladder and step into the clouds. Almost a year later, we witness this in person and can confirm it is hands-down one of the coolest song transitions we’ve ever seen. As she emerges from the clouds wearing a furry purple coat for Lavender Haze, it’s going to be a big final era on the tour. Our favourite thing about the live Midnights Era is that whether you’ve been a fan for 15 years or 15 minutes (as Taylor earlier described in the evening), absolutely everyone is on the same page when it comes to her latest album, and songs like Anti-Hero and Midnight Rain. As we see an on-stage outfit change during Midnight Rain, concealed by umbrellas, we find ourselves thinking just how cool the Taylor Swift fandom has become – particularly during songs like Vigilante Shit with its incredible choreography. Bejeweled illuminates the stadium in a glittering array of shining lights, while Mastermind plays out both dominos and chess on a checkered stage.
Taylor asks the crowd, ‘Do you have time for one more song?’ before launching into Karma with an extended outro. Band shout-outs, fireworks, confetti and the full works are on display for the final performance, and we give everything we have left as the show draws to a close. We take a few moments before leaving to appreciate how lucky we are to have witnessed such an incredible show. Our excitement extends both to all of the fans seeing Taylor on the remainder of her Australian tour, as well as all of the people that Taylor inspires to pursue their dreams now and into the future.