Can you believe it’s been a year since the ERAS Tour? I still remember it like it was yesterday.

I will always look back to this experience with a smile on my face because there’s nothing like the energy of being surrounded by thousands of Swifties. The show got me completely lost in the moment — dancing, singing, and screaming my heart out from the first note to the final bow.

It was absoluteeely insane… and I’m sure everyone who attended would agree. Since I’m still not over it, and I obviously have time to write about it, indulge me as I relive my wildest dreams!

Swiftie readers, catch all the TS references too 😛

I don’t know how it gets better than this

The internet practically broke when Taylor Swift announced the ERAS Tour. Back then, only the US shows were confirmed, and I remember watching so many Tiktok vids of fans scrambling for tickets, and the social media exploding with theories about how Tay plans to do it.

Swifties everywhere also prepared for what would become the most iconic tour of her career. True enough – it was iconic, although Rep stans might say otherwise and for a good reason. But let’s not dive into that.

I lurked online for tour uploads (bless these Swifties for their service!), and the whole show felt like stepping into a living, breathing music video. Taylor Swift had the most impressive setlist that took fans through every era of her music. Not to mention, the production spared no expense on the visuals, costumes, and overall gimmicks.

Then came the announcements for more shows, but sadly, the Philippines wasn’t on the list. With Singapore as the only Southeast Asian stop, we made it our mission to get there by hook or by crook.

And well, mission accomplished! ✨

I dress to kill my time and to feel fab during the show

Attending the ERAS Tour is like attending a big party. Long story short — you need to get glammed up. I can’t remember how many times I switched from one idea to another because there were so many songs that I could take inspiration from for my outfit.

“Lover era will definitely bring out the cutesy pink girly in me.“

“How about something funny like dressing up as a refrigerator to relive Tay dancing around the kitchen in the refrigerator light?“

“On the other hand, it’s not such a bad idea to wear a sequin dress à la Fearless.“

“Do I go for a sweetheart look — a flowy dress or a cinched waist? Speak Now era is tempting!“

“Would I be betraying Folklore if I didn’t choose a cottagecore fit?“

So many thoughts. LOL. My friends and I spent sooooo many nights thinking about what to wear! Believe me — I battled against any further self-induced dither or delay. I still needed to buy an outfit and DIY a bit before wearing it to the concert. At the time, Tay just released Midnights, and Midnight Rain caught our attention. The lyrics had “He was sunshine, I was midnight rain,” hence the final gold sparkly fit for me as the sun, and a sultry black dress that rivaled the starry sky for my bestie.

I bought a rhinestone detail crop halter top and pencil skirt (love!!) including a sun decor headband which ended up being such a fail. It was more of a chunk of metal than an actual head accessory. I gave it a chance and tried wearing it but it always got tangled up in my hair. I didn’t even want to think about wearing it for hours. I’ll just end up bald. Plan B it is!

I got a plain headpiece, embellished it with some gold bits, before gluing the metal sun shapes I got from the original headband. Don’t worry. I only used this for photos and didn’t wear it throughout the concert. Haha.

I also got a sparkly fishnet mesh tank top to go with my fit. As for my Midnight Rain friend, her dress was already perfect as it is, but she purchased rain cloud shades and a star headband to go with it!

Our shoes were basically the same – except hers was silver, and mine was gold! During the concert, we had to enlist the help of our friend for a whole body glitter spray!

It takes a village to get ready for the ERAS Tour haha!

Fun fact: The reason why I started with this topic is because I actually finished styling my outfit before I even got a ticket to the show. Hahaha. All my friends and I didn’t get Ticketmaster access codes and we were just put on the waitlist (no guarantees for this). So I did what any Swiftie would do — cling hard to Mastermind to manifest the heck out of my life. That and the daily 369 method! 😉 IYKYK! It worked wonders for us!

Borrowing a photo from my friend Jenie to show how emotional we were that day! HAHA.

During ticket selling DDAY, we tried our luck with Klook (this was such a lifesaver!) and secured our tickets in just about 10 minutes. Now all that was left was the waiting game 🤓

So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it

You know what? The fandom is every bit sweet and creative.

I never would have guessed the trend that would start when a few Swifties decided to latch on to Taylor’s words in YOYOK (You’re on Your Own, Kid). “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.”  

Since then, everyone hoarded beads, gems, and strings so they could create their own friendship bracelets. It quickly became an important thing in the fan culture; it was a way to share their love for Tay and her music.

It also became a bonding activity for some (this is true for our friend group!), while those who had less time on their hands or just shied away from craft time tuff turned to online platforms so they had something to bring during the tour.

I echo Tay’s sentiments during one show when she acknowledged the friendship bracelet craze. It was a simple thing, yet it has created a mass movement of joy!

Anyway… Outfit – check. Bracelets – check.

I counted days, I counted miles, to see you there

We survived the fierce competition for tickets to Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour; we were also lucky that our package covered accommodation from a partner hotel. However, the flight was another thing.

The overwhelming interest in the tour sent prices through the roof—three times higher than usual. We made a big mistake and it is NOT booking our flights right after securing the tour tickets. This was my “if only” during the whole ordeal.

But it’s not like we can get there without riding a plane though (kung may Roro sana, yun na lang lol). We booked the tickets mindlessly. After this, God will provide 😇

Pre-ERAS Tour — we were drunk on something stronger than the drinks in the bar

We were drunk on excitement! HAHA

Taylor’s big show definitely spurred a lot of mini-events where everyone could gather and sort of fangirl. I’m not even kidding when I say that everywhere you go, there’s always something happening. Even commercial establishments were capitalizing on it — you’ll see Eras Tour-inspired exhibits mounted in malls, and sold-out shows for drag queens slash impersonators, yada yada yada. It was interesting, although might be a bit exaggerated for the non-Swifties. Haha, idc.

As for us, we frequented fun Eras Tour-themed nights such as those organized by Club Red because they served a dual purpose. One is for making sure we know every lyric by heart, and of course, to dance the night away. Duh!

Call it what you want, but I loved attending these fan events. It was the most fun I ever had, and I’d do it over and over and over again if I could.

When we landed in Singapore, there were even cool installations for us to explore!

It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well

Between the outfit planning, friendship bracelets, and TS parties, preparing for the ERAS Tour was basically a full-time job. But let’s fast forward to the special night, shall we?

I will never, ever forget the feeling of when I first entered the National Stadium; the unrelenting flight of stairs turned into a mere hallway because of how eager I was to reach my seat and take in “that Eras tour magic.”

The most-awaited concert was only hours away, and it was as if I’d be doomed if I didn’t get to my seat fast enough. Funny, I know. But pretty sure everyone felt the same way. We reached the concourse and mingled a bit with the Swifties. As expected, there were a lot of Filipinos around. That’s nice. I’m sure we’ll all actively contribute to the crowd’s liveliness.

Since we still had time before the show started, we gave/traded friendship bracelets with anyone we saw. I had over two hundred with me — so I made it my assignment to find a bare wrist and slip on a bracelet or two.

It was also so cool to see divas and fashionistas strut around with fits that would make you think they were about to belt out ATWTMVFTVTV (can you keep up with the abbreviation?), or rival Tay for a sultry Vigilante Shit performance.

After the friendly exchanges, we finally entered the door that led to our zone. Like I said… it’s as if I’d be doomed if I didn’t get to my seat fast enough.

Flooded with thoughts of ‘I will ‘remember this moment’ in the back of my mind‘

I recall walking up the polished steps and seeing the stadium come into full view. Those mere seconds were so priceless. Because hellooooo! This is it! The show I’ve been obsessing for the past few months. The one I’ve been manifesting to get a ticket to. A once-in-a-lifetime event to celebrate the career-spanning setlist of a brilliant artist that raised our generation.

Seeing the impressive stage and the concert grounds while the air was abuzz with excited chatter made me so happy! We were squealing and giggling like teenage girls attending a concert for the first time. The ERAS TOUR Concert is my first TS concert!! I guess I’m allowed to be emotional.

The whole journey was just so crazy and chaotic in a good way!

Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned so we could watch the ERAS Tour

Indulge me as I let the wave of nostalgia take over, okay? I’ll share bullets of my favorite live performances. Hopefully, I won’t go into too much detail because I might end up with longass essays and we don’t want that. Haha.

Back to the show: the delay tower slightly got in the way of our view, but it wasn’t something worth getting upset about. Better than not seeing Miss Americana at all! Sabrina Carpenter opened the show, earning some cheers left and right. But it wasn’t until Applause played that Swifties started to lose their minds because they knew the countdown clock was next. Then came the most beautiful intro I’ve ever witnessed. All her fans have been involved in a big guessing game as to how she’d open the show months prior. The possibilities were endless; we’re talking about two decades of music after all.

As an International Swiftie, I could only try and remember the live streams I watched from when Taylor first kicked off the tour in Glendale in 2023. That crowd was the first to witness the intro nobody ever expected — with the sound of the lesser-known track from Lover album filling every corner of the stadium. Finally, I could hear it with my own ears! It overwhelmed my emotions with just how heavenly it sounded. Voices and samples representing Taylor’s musical eras reverberated; it was aptly titled, “It’s Been A Long Time Coming.”

The dancers carrying fan-like things on their backs slowly and gracefully occupied the stage, treating everyone to a visual feast. They looked like stunning butterflies. Their final steps position them in the center of the stage, and they lay down flat before stretching back up to reveal the shining, shimmering beauty we all know as Taylor Swift. The whole intro was such a magical moment I forgot that I’d been holding my breath too long.

Nothin’ lasts forever, but this is gettin’ good now

After brushing off my emotional moment during the intro, it was time to enjoy the show and party! Woohoo! Tonight’s the night when we forget about the deadlines… so here are some of my favorite acts 🤩

Cruel Summer: One late realization I had is that you’re totally allowed to skip cardio if you’re singing your heart out for this song’s bridge. I mean… we were jumping up and down like crazy. Cruel Summer was “that one summer jam,” the 2019 Lover anthem that unfortunately never got the spotlight it deserved because of the pandemic. Honestly, nothing quite captures pure euphoria with a touch of heartache better than this song. It was so so so good to finally sing to this in a stadium full of Swifties.

Lover: Hearing the live version took me back to the day when I first heard it play on the radio. I clearly remember driving to the gym at that time, and I thought “It would probably be so romantic to slow dance to this with my lover.” Haha! Anyway, I was so caught up in the moment that I clutched at my chest the whole time, just feeling so in love. Seeing the light-up bracelets form pink hearts in the stadium was also a nice touch. 💗

Fearless: Suddenly, I’m the teenage girl from 2008 daydreaming about her crush because she’s listening to a catchy love song. I was vibing so hard during this performance and got really emotional when Tay did the famous twirl and the heart hands. I know I’m not the only one. 🥺

You Belong With Me: A classic. I loved how one Swiftie in our row was dressed up as the dorky American girl from the YBWM music video and got into character throughout the whole song. It was so cute!

Love Story: This has got to be one of my favorites! Sadly, no one in our area knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said “Marry me…” to his or her partner.   

Tolerate It: Evermore girlies were definitely spoiled because everything about this SCREAMS theatrical vision! The song is already impactful, but the performance had a stronger pull. It made you FEEL every lyric about the neglected wife in a loveless marriage (or you know, made you remember an ex ehem). All I know is that those who weren’t such big fans of Tolerate It before the tour now appreciate this gem more. It’s hard not to when it’s so beautiful and real.

…Ready For It?: I’m only speaking facts: going from Evermore to Reputation was so C-R-A-Z-Y! Imagine sitting down to such a vulnerable, and slow-building piano ballad, then (feeling like) getting tased in the butt after hearing the iconic sound of heels, and a snake hiss. This was undoubtedly the most electrifying part of the concert. We all sprang to our feet overwhelmed with excitement! Unlike Taylor, we were absolutely NOT ready for it. It would even be an understatement to say that the crowds in stands went wild for Rep.

Don’t Blame Me: A collective favorite. If mother wants to take us to freaking church, then let’s all go to the freaking church. Listening to her perform this felt like transcending the ground. The transition from DBM to LWYMMD gave me chills!

Enchanted & Long Live: I can’t put it into words, but the Speak Now set was so magical even if it wasn’t my favorite era; hearing the songs felt like everyone in the stadium shared the same heartbeat.

All Too Well (10-Minute Version): The moment Taylor got all 60,000 Swifties to scream “F the patriarchy!” will always be etched in my mind.

Folklore: I knew I had to say goodbye to my sanity as soon as I saw the cabin silhouette onstage. Haha. I really can’t choose a favorite song unless we have Exile in the mix…. so I’m just gonna say the whole Folklore set will linger like a tattoo kiss (2025 update: it did). This will always be the era that stands out for me.

Style: Watching the live performance of a song that defined pop music when it was released is a core memory. It may be up for a Swiftie debate, but there’s no other song with a more iconic intro than Style.

Shake It Off: This song sometimes gets flak for being shallow, but I don’t care. If we’re being real, Shake It Off is such a bop. You will probably dance unapologetically at some point, and that’s exactly what we did.

Surprise Songs: Lucky for us, our favorite pop star came out wearing a yellow dress during the acoustic session. That meant top-tier surprise songs! We got Mine x Starlight on piano, and I Don’t Wanna Live Forever x Dress on guitar. I was taken aback when no one wanted to shout “TAYLOR” after the “Say my name and everything just stops” part anymore. I guess — goodbye, Joe.

Karma: Loved how we got this Midnights track as the finale. It was sad because it was the last perf, but at least it was a glitter gel pen song! It made sure everyone felt euphoric. This bit was also such a visual spectacle with its vivid colors.

There’s glitter on the floor after the party

Girls carryin’ their shoes down in the lobby – literally. I changed into hotel slippers on our way home because my feet were hurting so much already. Heels pa. Talon pa.

For some reason — even if we danced and sang our hearts out to over 40 songs, we felt that it still wasn’t enough. This was the most fun concert I’ve had in a long time, and I will always be grateful to have lived this experience. Attending the show felt like starting as a teenager, and then slowly going through the years before finally becoming an adult. 😅

The memories, the music, the sheer magic of it all—it’s so memorable. And if Taylor ever decides to do it all over again? You already know I’ll be there, friendship bracelets and all.

Note: Some of the images featured in this article are not mine unless stated otherwise or tagged with thebdt logo. Full credit for these photos go to the original photographers and sources.