Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour at Anfield Stadium

January 2022 was the last time I shared a concert related blog post over here. That’s far too long ago in my opinion, so it’s about time that changed!

I’ve attended a few concerts since that blog post, with two Ed Sheeran gigs being added to the list. Sadly not having the time to document the memories on here, I told myself that I would make time for the one and only Taylor Swift.

It’s ruddy Taylor Swift. Do I need to say anything else other than that?

I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan for years. However, I’ve never had the chance to see her live. As the title suggests, my wildest dreams came true.

 

So let’s take a trip through the eras then shall we?

 

Booking tickets

I think it’s important to discuss the process of booking tickets as a disabled fan.

Given the expected demand for Taylor Swift tickets, I knew that I was going to have to spend a considerable amount of time on the phone to the accessibility team at Anfield stadium. What I wasn’t expecting was to make over 1000 calls in almost 4 hours with no luck of even getting through. Hearing the 3 beeps of the busy tone was the soundtrack to that day.

Disabled fans cannot spend hours dialling the same number over and over again or waiting in a queue, when non-disabled fans can get tickets within a few simple clicks in a matter of minutes.

 

I’m not one to give up. So the following morning, as soon as the phonelines opened, I found myself repeating the process once again. Thankfully this time, I was one step closer, getting through to being on hold.

I knew there was a slim chance of getting tickets. That chance was confirmed once I got to speak to someone who told me that all tickets had sold out. That didn’t stop the pang in my chest.

All hope wasn’t lost though, because I was given the option of being added to the waiting list should any tickets become available. It was worth a try, wasn’t it?

 

The following Friday afternoon, I was sat at my desk, completing a few admin tasks. I wasn’t having the best day, until I received an unexpected call from a member of the accessibility team at Anfield stadium. There were some accessible tickets available!

A few minutes later, my day had been turned around, luck somehow being on my side. I’d just purchased the last two accessible tickets for the Saturday show. I couldn’t quite believe it.

I was seeing Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour!

 

Taylor Swift tickets are like gold dust. When you add accessible tickets into the mix, it’s pretty much a treasure hunt. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to secure tickets because I know there are thousands of fans that didn’t.

Things need to change to make it a fairer, simpler and better process. No one should miss out due to a lack of accessibility.

 

The concert

I booked the tickets in July 2023, so it was 11 months of waiting.

15 June 2024 soon arrived which only meant one thing… it was Taylor Swift day!

I met up with my friend, and we set off on the road trip to Liverpool.

Once we’d checked in to our hotel, we made our way to the stadium.

Prior to the concert, I’d been in touch with the accessibility team at Anfield to ask about accessible parking due to not being able to find any info online. The team were really helpful.

A few emails later, I’d been sent confirmation of accessible parking, something that I was very glad of on the day.

Once parked, we scoped out the stadium. First up, it was time to get merch.

As to be expected, the queue to get merchandise was very long. Naturally, lots of fans wanted to purchase a memento. Thankfully it didn’t take too long for us to make our way to the front of the queue. T-shirts purchased, and it was time to make our way into the stadium.

Bags searched and tickets scanned, we collected our wristbands on the way in. The wristbands would light up during the performance, bathing the stadium in a sea of flickering lights that matched the colours of the staging, so I was informed. If the staging was white and Taylor was in a white outfit, the wristbands would resemble that colour. Pretty cool!

 

The support act, Paramore, took to the stage and delivered a 45-minute set of pure energy. They certainly got us warmed up for Taylor.

Before leaving the stage, Hayley Williams thanked Taylor for having them on the tour with her.

 

After a short wait, it was time for Taylor to gift us with her presence.

Introduced by timers on the backdrop, the stadium chorused the countdown. The crowd erupted with screams. I’ve never heard noise like it.

The show opened with Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince, followed by Cruel Summer. What a perfect mashup to kick off the show. That was it. We were about to witness a 3 and a half hour Taylor Swift concert.

Despite being in the thick of it, I couldn’t quite believe what I was experiencing. An actual dream, I’m telling you.

 

“You’ve made me feel really, really powerful”, Taylor told the crowd, beginning the build-up to The Man.

 

Taylor explained that we were taking a journey through the eras – essentially each of her albums. And let me tell you, it was a journey for sure.

At that point, we were in the Lover era. The end of that section being signalled by the title track itself. Slowing down the tempo was the perfect way to relish in the moment, appreciating the beauty of the next 3 or so hours.

 

She then took us right back to the Fearless Era, performing the title track, along with fan favourites including You Belong With Me and Love Story. That’s when we well and truly sang our hearts out, with the rest of the night being pretty much the same.

 

Each section had its own intro, complete with impressive staging. Not that I could see it myself, that fact I’m taking from all the comments I’ve read online.

The elements of various songs clubbed together in the next intro signalling that we were now moving to Red. This era featured popular tracks such as 22, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, and I Knew You Were Trouble.

The highlight for me was hearing the 10-minute version of All Too Well. I couldn’t quite believe what I was experiencing. Remarkable stuff. That’s what Taylor Swift fan dreams are made of.

It was spine-tingling. Blasting it on full volume is one thing. Hearing it live, that’s something else.

 

Once that breathtaking moment was over, we were on to Speak Now. That Era being solely made up of an enchanting performance of Enchanted.

It wasn’t just Taylor’s stunning vocals that blew the crowd away, it was also the remarkable staging. Enchanted being one of those. I’ll talk more about the staging from my point of view later on.

Some albums didn’t have as many songs compared to others. I guess it’s very difficult to balance such a vast discography.

 

It was now time for the Reputation era.

‘Ready for It?’ started the eclectic set.

The highlight from this set was the varying musicality. Take the difference from Delicate to Look What You Made Me Do for example. It just goes to show Taylor’s versatility.

 

The Folklore/Evermore eras were next. With the two albums being released in quick succession during the pandemic, they were combined into one ‘era’ so to speak.

This was the part of the show where Taylor opened up about the deeper meaning behind the two albums. She set the scene; explaining how she wrote the albums in a cabin when we were in lockdown, and not knowing whether she’d ever be able to perform them to us. You could tell that the songs from these albums hold significance for her.

She recalled the time she was writing them, referring to the staging resembling a cabin in a forest, transporting us back to those times along with her. As a blind fan who couldn’t see the staging, I found Taylor’s reference particularly helpful. It’s something that’s stuck with me. She probably has no idea that that moment Hit Different for accessibility.

We were treated to a couple of acoustic songs during this set of Betty and Champagne problems. The acoustic vibes gave Taylor’s vocals time to take centre stage, echoing from every corner of the stadium.

If I could listen to Champagne problems live on repeat all day I would.

August and Willow were also some of the highlights for me.

 

We’re not done yet. Far from it. Next up was 1989 – the era where we saw Taylor taking more of a pop approach. This was proved by performances like Shake It off and Bad Blood.

 

Now we move on to the current Era, The Tortured Poets Department. Songs were cut from others to make way for these. Despite that, it was a treat.

The era opened with a range of snippets from the album; a quickfire musical if you will. It then moved to a mashup of But Daddy I Love Him/So High School.

You know those songs that you wish the live versions were on the album? Those two songs were that for me.

There’s a reoccurring theme of mashups here. They were mashups that were unexpected yet worked in every way.

We can’t leave this era without talking about hearing the crowd chant the shouty parts of I Can Do It With a Broken Heart. Iconic.

Like being in the midst of a 3 and a half hour Taylor Swift concert wasn’t quite enough already, there was a surprise songs section. This is where Taylor handpicks a few songs every show. These songs are also performed as an acoustic set. No one quite knows what you’re going to get which is what’s exciting.

Keeping up to date with the surprise songs each night has become part of my bedtime social media scroll.

At our show, the songs we were treated to was a mashup of Carolina/No body, no crime which were performed on guitar, and a piano version of The Manuscript with elements of Red.

They were absolutely stunning. No body, no crime is one of my favourite songs. I’m now obsessed with The Manuscript even more.

Taylor well and truly knows how to treat her fans.

 

Next up, it was time for the final era… Midnights.

It was opened with Lavender Haze and the very catchy Antihero.

A few songs later, the final song of the evening was upon us. That final song was Karma with an amazing outro that had everyone on their feet… if we weren’t already.

Before the final bow, Taylor also gave a nod to her band, backing vocalists and dancers. They did a tremendous job.

Fireworks closed the show, encouraging the stadium to give one final applaud of the night.

 

I left the show feeling elated. I’ve never attended a concert like this one. It’s a magical experience. Each song is its own story, claiming the right to be on that setlist.

 

Not only is a 3 and a half hour set remarkable, the show is also brought to life by the staging. The transitions between eras make many of the songs come to life even more.

However, for blind and visually impaired fans like me, we’re left out of those spectacular moments. Although singing my heart out and attending a Taylor Swift concert was the therapy I needed, I can’t help wondering what it would have been like to have experienced the jaw-dropping transitions, each song being brought to life before your eyes, plus the staging and choreography. Oh and we can’t forget about the glitz and the glam of Queen Taylor Swift herself. Her outfits are out of this world from what I understand.

That’s why I wish more concerts had audio description. Granted, it’s not something you might want, or even need at every concert. For concerts like the Eras Tour, the visuals are as much of a part than the music itself. I’d love to experience those too.

The shows at Edinburgh had live audio description provided by Audio Description Scotland so we know it can be done. #

I got in touch With Anfield ahead of the shows there to see if there was a tiny chance I’d somehow missed the memo, to be met with confirmation I hadn’t.

I’d love for the music industry to embed accessibility at every stage –from buying tickets to the show itself.

Not being able to see the visuals on the night gives me even more of an excuse to watch the movie again to fill in the gaps in my mind. Not that I needed an excuse.

 

Like every concert, it was all about the music and the experience for me. That certainly didn’t disappoint. It was an out of this world experience. I don’t have the words to do it justice. Taylor puts on the most incredible show from start to finish.

We have to talk about her energy. I have no idea how she has the stamina to perform for that length of time for several shows a week. She deserves so much credit (along with all the rest she needs).

 

There’s something moving about being in a stadium with people who are all there to see the same artist, being united by your shared passion.

At the time of publishing, it’s been over a week and I haven’t stopped thinking about the concert since. Taylor Swift is consuming my every thought at this point.

I’d do it all again in a heartbeat if I could.

 

I’m in awe of Taylor’s performance. The Eras Tour is everything and more.

 

Have you attended, or are you attending the Eras Tour? If you’re a fellow blind or visually impaired concert-goer, I’d love to hear your thoughts on having audio description at concerts.

Oh and if someone could invent a time machine so I could go back to relive the Eras Tour, you’ll forever be my favourite person.

 

Holly x