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The most iconic moments from the Eras Tour opening night
After months spent counting down the days, the moment we've all been waiting for is finally here: Taylor Swift is in her most groundbreaking era yet—her "Eras" Era. On March 17, Taylor officially kicked off her long-anticipated Eras Tour in Glendale, Ariz.—or should we say Swift City, Era-Zona. "Tonight, we're going on an adventure, one era at a time," she told the sold-out crowd. Want all the deets on the start of this totally unforgettable journey? We have you covered with our roundup of the most iconic moments from the tour's opening night—ofc, there were *so* many to choose from, but we narrowed it down to the classic 13.
The setlist
🎶| Complete setlist for tonight's show!
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) March 18, 2023
— Taylor performed 44 songs pic.twitter.com/jBD5vrnWmw
The big question leading up to the opening night was what songs Tay was going to play. We expected a lengthy list, since it is The Eras Tour, after all. Sure enough, the setlist featured all the hit singles we know and love, along with the rest of our fave tracks. We even got a major throwback with a performance of "Tim McGraw," the song that started it all.
The sparkly Fearless guitar
T-Swift was awfully active on her Insta story the day before opening night and gave Swifties a behind-the-scenes look at her DIY replica of her bedazzled guitar from the Fearless Tour. The dazzling finished product made an appearance last night and made the whole place shimmer.
The different versions of Taylor in "Look What You Made Me Do"
The "Look What You Made Me Do" music video is known for how cleverly it highlights all the different versions of Taylor we've seen over the years. When performing "Look What You Made Me Do" live during her Reputation Era set, Taylor took this concept to a whole new level. She strutted down the stage to the backdrop of *tons* of mini Taylor clones trapped in glass boxes—and a group of backup dancers, all dressed as Taylor's past selves.
When she gave her Red hat to a little fan
During the Red Era set, Taylor donned her iconic "Not a lot going on at the moment" outfit from the "22" music video, complete with a black brimmed hat. While she was proving that it was, in fact, the perfect night to dress up like hipsters, Taylor walked to the edge of the stage, took her hat off and gave it to a little girl in the floor section. Cue the "awwww"s! We're convinced that little girl *is* the main character.
When she shouted out evermore
Before launching into "champagne problems," Taylor shared her love for fan fave album evermore. Swifties across social media have always joked that Taylor "hates" the album after not acknowledging its one-year anniversary in 2021, but Taylor decided to set the record straight. "The evermore album, which is an album I absolutely love, despite what some of you say on TikTok," she said. "Oh, I've seen it. I've seen all of it." So have no fear, evermore stans—this "forgotten sister" is finally getting the recognition it deserves!
Her performance of "Enchanted"
Taylor's Speak Now Era set was only made up of one song, but what better track to include than the dreamy "Enchanted?" Taylor took the stage in a ballgown fit for a princess to perform the swoon-worthy song. Speak Now lovers def won't be disappointed by this powerful, emotional rendition of the classic fave. And plus, this era cut short may even be expanding in the future, as many Swifties have speculated about the release of Speak Now (Taylor's Version) coinciding with the tour. Could we be seeing more Speak Now tracks on the setlist soon? The lingering question will keep us up long past 2AM.
The folklore cabin
We first spotted the famous cabin when Taylor used it to perform a melody of hits from folklore at the Grammy Awards in 2021 (where she won Album of the Year, natch). Now, she's bringing it back for the tour, and we are *so* here for all the cozy cottagecore vibes. "Do you like the folklore cabin?" she asked the crowd. "I really like it here." (So do we, Tay.) The cabin served as the magical setting for Taylor's folklore set, which consisted of a whopping seven songs. Brb, making plans to move in rn.
All Too Well (10-Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)
Swifties everywhere first fell in love with the Red album when it was released back in 2012, and then all over again in 2021 with Red (Taylor's Version). After taking the crowd through some of the album's greatest hits, Taylor shared how much Red (and its re-recording) has meant to her, before asking the audience if they had an extra 10 minutes to spare. Um, do we even have to answer? As (what else?) paper snowflakes fell from the sky, Taylor rounded out her Red set with a performance of the absolute masterpiece that is "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)(Taylor's Version)," which, in itself, it its own iconic moment, tbh.
Surprise acoustic song
Even after the folklore Era ended for the night, Taylor still had one more surprising in store— an unexpected performance of "mirrorball." She announced her plans to play a different acoustic song that isn't featured on the set list at each show, with no repeats, meaning that each show will include a totally unique performance. For opening night, Taylor chose folklore's sparkling sixth track. Name a better surprise...we'll wait.
The "Lover" house
The "Lover" house has been the source of many Swiftie theories (and walks down Clownelia Street, unfortunately). One theory is that each room represents an era, and that definitely fits the theme of the Eras Tour. Taylor opened with Lover, which def made us mourn the loss of Loverfest, but also set the happy, upbeat, OMG-Taylor-we-missed-you tone for the night. "Cruel Summer" live?! Pinch us, we're dreaming.
The transition from "Don't Blame Me" to "Look What You Made Me Do"
@elliethumannlol THAT DAMN TRANSITION
♬ original sound - Ellie!!
We're still obsessed with the way reputation blends themes of romance with revenge, spinning a tale of finding true love in the midst of chaos—and Taylor perfectly captured the album's vibes with her jaw-dropping transition from "Don't Blame Me" to "LWYMMD." One second she's telling a love story that has everyone in jaw-dropping awe of *the* high note, the next she's ready for vengeance. Srsly, is there anything Taylor can't do?
"Lavender Haze" dive
Taylor made a splash as she entered her Midnights era—no, literally. Everyone was spellbound as she dove into the stage, disappearing under it only to emerge moments later and perform the album's third single. The performance had us wanting to stay in the lavender haze forever, and this dazzling dive made for the perfect lead-in to it.
Finale
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, but at least Taylor finished the night on a high note, concluding her spectacular setlist with a performance of "Karma." This marks the first time she's ever performed the track live, and we truly couldn't;t think of a better way to debut. Amidst colorful confetti, Taylor thanked the crowd and spotlighted her backup dancers as they all took their final bows, The first weekend of the Eras Tour may be over, but DW, Swifties—this is only the beginning.
We've got T.S. content to keep you busy until next weekend:
🪩 "Taylor is all of us." Our editor-in-chief reflects on GL's love for Taylor Swift over the years
🪩 Here's your Eras Tour outfit inspo for every Taylor Swift album
🪩 Plan a perfect day and we'll give you a Taylor Swift lyric to be your March mantra
Slider image: @breannawheeler__ Top image: @emlomeli
Heading to the Eras Tour any time soon? Capture it, remember it and tag us in all your vids on TikTok @girlslifemag for a chance to be featured!
POSTED IN TRENDING, Celebs, Taylor Swift
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