It’s fair to say that the two nights I spent at Taylor Swift‘s Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018 feature among the top five in my life — and not just because I met Swift in person before the show. The handful of other times I’ve seen her perform, including the 1989 tour, would easily make the top 10.
And yet I won’t be among the many thousands of people streaming the Eras Tour Movie this weekend, even though I’m a Disney Plus subscriber. Likewise, I didn’t go to see the film in the theater or pay to rent it online. I’ve decided not to watch the movie at all — for now, at least. (I realize you may feel otherwise, in which case see our guide on how to watch the Eras Tour movie on Disney Plus.)
The reason is simple: As a British Swiftie, I haven’t had the chance to see the Eras Tour live yet. All this is set to change in a touch under three months when Swift comes to Edinburgh as she embarks on the UK leg of her tour. This is the first time I’ll see the show that’s been dominating cultural discourse for the past year as Swift has traveled all over the US, Latin America, Australia and Singapore.
Until I experience the Eras Tour for myself, I’m not going to watch the movie version. This is because I want the first time I see the show in full to be in person rather than through a screen. I’m far from alone in making this decision. Many Swifties across Europe with tickets for this summer’s dates have also chosen to hang back from overindulging in tour content. One of my friends has achieved the impossible and managed somehow to avoid almost all tour content on social media, and still doesn’t know the set list.
I’ve not been that strict with myself. I’m familiar not only with the set list, but also the costumes and each beat of the opening number of the show. I’ve examined diagrams that map Swift’s movements around the stage so I can choose the best positions for the nights I have standing tickets. After every show, I let myself watch the surprise song performances in the acoustic section, as I know I’m unlikely to get to see these songs live. At times it’s made the wait for the show to arrive in my region of the world feel painful, but it’s hard not to dip my toe into the copious amount of tour content available.
