“This is the end of an era and the beginning of an era.”
Taylor Swift sang these words and played on the piano at the end of the final show of her global blockbuster Eras tour at BC Arena in Vancouver on Sunday night (December 8). There’s some fan service baked into “Long.” Astute listeners noticed the difference in lyrics—the correct line was “End of a decade”—and cheered the clip, a small but meaningful nod to the significance of the moment.
The Eras Tour has made big announcements, surprising performers and major set list changes at various shows throughout its nearly two-year lifespan, but on Sunday night, the stadium tour came to an end , none of these shocking things happened. Instead, Swift is positioning the tour as a chance to commemorate everything the Eras Run has accomplished, both as one of the most jaw-dropping pop shows of all time and as a way for millions of Swifties to come together and connect , a space to shout together and feel seen. “I’m so proud of you,” Swift told the audience midway through her performance. So she presented them with the Eras performance that she and her team had crafted and achieved record-breaking results that gained worldwide recognition.
Of course, the final Eras show required some special details in the set list, so the Vancouver audience was treated to a stunning acoustic set, multiple heartfelt speeches from Swift, and an emotional outpouring after the final song. Sunday night’s performance was noteworthy for those who’d seen the show before, but for those who hadn’t, it was also a thrilling ride that lasted over three hours. The end of Eras marks the end of one of the most defining tours in the modern music industry – but on Sunday night in Vancouver, the show was as amazing an experience as ever for fans.
Here are the 10 best moments from Eras’ final tour (in chronological order).
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Gracie Abrams bids a tearful farewell.
During her opening number, Abrams unfolded a piece of paper as a heartfelt thank you speech for her experience as part of the Eras tour. “I’m not ready for this to be over,” the rising pop star told the stadium crowd. “I’m not saying that because I’m lucky enough to be one of her lucky openers. I’m saying that because, like, Like all of you, I grew up with Taylor’s songs and they magically met me at a moment in my life that I thought no one else could understand or know, or pain or longing or love or loss, and yet, She did. Later, Abrams wiped away tears before opening the final song and then wiped away some more as she and her band exited the stage to cheers.
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I was immersed in applause at the first timeout.
Even though she got the expected standing ovation during the game Folkmore Swift seemed to have a special reaction from her fans as a group of fans serenaded her with “Happy Birthday” and the first long cheer came immediately after the show’s first full-length song, “Cruel Summer.” move. Eras’ final show is officially underway and BC Arena is buzzing to let the superstar know they’re ready to support, sing along and party. “Tonight, we’re going to do one last show… and we’re going to make it work,” Swift told the audience.
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The final “22” hat giveaway.
A staple of the Eras show, the “22” hat was awarded to a young girl in the audience, who looked in awe while high-fiving and hugging her idol in a pink sequined dress. The look of pure wonder on her face, and the way Swift embraced her, elevated a heartstring-tugging moment in every era that stopped.
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Speech before “All’s Well”.
Before launching into the 10-minute version of her red epic, Swift took a moment to address the audience, summarizing her intentions for the Eras tour and explaining why the experience was more important than the spectacle of touring stadiums.
“The lasting legacy of this tour is that you created a space of joy and unity and love,” Swift said, nodding to the friendship bracelet phenomenon and how one of her wandering lyrics spawned a a public act. “That’s why you’re so special, you’ve always had my back, that’s why I can carry these lovely walks in my memory every night – because you cared about me every era of my life.” Keep making music. These words truly reflect how fans fit into the era experience and gave Swift a vision for her career.
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“Exquisite” introduction.
Any experienced Swiftian knows that the audience has started yelling “1! 2! 3! Let’s go, bitch! Before the beat dropped on “Delicate,” a viral fan moment in 2018 that has become a nightly staple. The impromptu chant grew louder and louder as the tour went on, and by the final night, it seemed like every audience member was ready to shout it out—while Swift herself was center stage counting along with them. Delicate now includes new stories, and Swift fully supports it.
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this tortured poet enthusiasm.
Whether it’s recency deviation or the strength of new materials, tortured poets department The Times turned out to be the night’s most intense and wide-ranging performance, with Swift delivering dazzling sarcasm (“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”) and furious death marches (“The Smallest People Ever”). , depressive atmospheres (“in a bad mood”) and angry confrontations (“Who’s afraid of little old me?”), and other unbridled emotions. The six-song era progressed smoothly, contained zero skippable moments, and featured some of Swift’s most memorable facial expressions of the night, whether commiserating with a friend in the bleachers on “So High School” or Searching for lost love in “Fortnight.”
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Wonderful first acoustic song…
Before performing a surprise song from her final Eras show, Swift explained that the nightly acoustic performances were her way of “trying to play a guessing game every night and think about what you might want to hear.” As the final show of the tour rolled around, Swift thought about “which songs really summed up how I was feeling tonight — so I decided to go back to where I started.”
This opens a lovely guitar medley, “A Place in This World,” one of the most touching songs from her 2006 self-titled debut album, and “New Romantics,” a much-loved anthem , which celebrates finding hope amid dashed dreams. The songs are drawn from different moments in Swift’s artistry, but are expertly blended together to convey the message of embracing your roots and letting them guide you through change.
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…and the emotional punch of the second acoustic song.
Swift put down her guitar, sat down at the piano, and rocked the stadium with the final surprise song of the tour: a mash-up of “Hail” and “New Year,” a breathtaking combination that brought the former to life The epic scope of the latter and the quiet longing of the latter. Swift then added “The Manuscript” to the mix as a coda, her intention being to honor her fans and thank them for the clear community they’ve created. “I reread the manuscript, but the story is no longer mine,” she sang, offering three songs in thanks before taking two separate bows to thunderous applause.
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Cam Sanders shines one last time.
The entire dance crew supporting Swift on the Eras tour did a tremendous job for months, but Sanders established himself as a fan favorite and had the crowd appreciating her on the final night. During “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Swift handed him the microphone from the end of the bridge, and Sanders responded to their reunion by bellowing, “One last time, No! During “Bejeweled,” Swift paused her routine to give Sanders a hug, a quick hug that conveyed how grateful she was to be on stage with him all the time.
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Group hug.
Speaking of hugs, the Eras tour ended with a moment that was both universal and intimate: At the end of the show, with thousands of fans cheering Swift on and confetti raining down at BC Stadium, the superstar turned to her The dancers embraced them in a hug.
Swift then hugged each member of the cast and joined them as they slowly exited the stage, the crowd still roaring with deafening cheers but completely immersed in their own world as a touring family. Swift thanked her band and crew and took a final bow to the audience, but it was the collective hug that defined the finale, an intimate image that marked Elas’ final performance as memorable.
