Taylor Swift’s blockbuster Eras tour kicks off Friday (October 25) in New Orleans with the first of three sold-out shows at the Caesars Superdome over.
After a lengthy overseas date, Swift returned to North America last week for three shows in Miami. New Orleans is the second city on the final leg of the Times Tour. Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium is a short drive from downtown, while the Caesars Superdome is in the heart of downtown New Orleans. By the end of the week, bars, restaurants, hotels, pet shops, galleries and more have all succumbed to the Swiftie takeover, offering themed menu items (Holy Ground Hurricane, Fearless Jambalaya) or hosting parties tailored specifically for the Taylor crowd (karaoke ), trivia, drag shows, and even similar contests offering hundreds of dollars to the winner).
From Canal Street to Bourbon Street to Frenchmen Street, concertgoers wearing Eras Tour T-shirts began flooding into the city days ago, eventually reaching a fever pitch on Friday. What’s even crazier is that it’s also Halloween weekend in New Orleans. Walk into any bar on Bourbon Street before a concert and you’re as likely to spot revelers attending the city’s annual Witches Luncheon as if you were a tourist dressed in Taylor Swift style and/or Kansas City Chiefs gear to honor her boyfriend, Travis.
While this once-in-a-lifetime cultural event is about the sense of community leading up to the show, it’s ultimately about the music and Swift’s performance.
As more than 50,000 fans packed into Caesars Dome on Friday night (the venue has a capacity of nearly 83,000, but Swift’s stage design — which made even nosebleed seats a worthwhile investment — cut through it), These were the best moments from Taylor Swift’s first concert.
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Luke, what did you want me to do?
New Orleans is not your ordinary tourist stop. In the days leading up to Swift taking the stage, locals and tourists have been dressing up as versions of the pop star based on her music video looks and various outfits she’s worn on stage before. Creative, subtle looks abounded, but the best riff on Swift’s look featured a woman wearing a shirt, a reminder that “there’s a lot to vote on right now.”
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cheer up
“I’ve had more fun than I’ve ever had on this tour. The main reason is because you made this tour completely different from anything I’ve ever done before. You created a tradition. You created this huge symphony of joy,” Swift said earlier in the night. “I showed up one day and you guys were making friendship bracelets and I was like, ‘That’s so cool.'” There’s now a giant friendship bracelet outside the stadium.
Swift was referring to a giant Swift friendship bracelet hanging from the facade of the Caesars Superdome. That giant bracelet didn’t fly alone, however: tens of thousands of friendship bracelets connecting Swift and Nora were already circulating around the city before she even took the stage.
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The King of My Heart (Cake)
New Orleans isn’t as central to Swift’s lyrical lore as Nashville or New York, but the Big Easy certainly played an important role in her recording history. Three songs from tortured poets department was recorded at Esplanade Studios and includes “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” (part of TTPD program section). But Swift’s sweetest Nora tribute was when she 1989 Fragment, paired with a purple top, yellow skirt and green boots – the colors of Mardi Gras. Or, if you’re hungry, have a king cake color.
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chiffon
At this point, you’d think Swift’s closet was empty. However, during her first New Orleans show, the pop star debuted a new outfit – a red, white and blue chiffon pleated dress – before her surprise song. The excited cheers at the sight made it clear that Norlins fans had been paying attention. That’s a good thing, too – when the tour is over, she’ll probably need a tour guide to guide her through her closet.
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Surprise, Pt. 1
Swifties are still waiting (not so patiently) Taylor’s version Her self-titled debut and thematically breakthrough version reputation. The wait continues, but lucky New Orleans concertgoers were treated to a mashup of the former’s hit single “Our Song” and the latter’s “Whatever You Like.” Although the albums seem very different, Swift proves that her early songs are not far removed from her more recent reflective pop.
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Surprise, Pt. 2
As tens of thousands of Swifties took to the streets after Friday night’s show, people couldn’t help but unleash their excitement for the surprise song “The Black Dog.” this TTPD The tune is paired with “Haunted” speak Now; Similar to her first mashup, it showed that despite the genre leaps Swift has taken in her career, there’s an effortless thread connecting everything she writes.
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Archer
If the Kansas City Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl, you could say Swift said so. Although she’s done it before, Swift imitated boyfriend Travis Kelce’s bow-and-arrow shooting moves in “High School.” Later that night, during “Midnight Rain,” Swift mimicked a pass — apparently the idea of the Chiefs traveling all the way to the Kaiser Superdome for the 2025 Super Bowl might have been a little on her mind.
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lightning strike
While open-air stadiums tend to be the most visually romantic, there’s something to be said for venues with enclosed ceilings. Yes, the volume hurts the eardrums. But more importantly, the lighting feels more intimate. Despite the size of the venue, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor Version)” — set in an enclosed environment with warm lighting — was more difficult to land, which is saying something. When Swift sings the lyrics about the refrigerator light, the entire stadium fills with a yellow glow that makes you feel like you’re in the kitchen with her.
