The time has come. Every Taylor Swift fan everywhere has been eagerly awaiting news regarding the sold-out tour that’s been talked about since the tour announcement. I was lucky enough to snag 6 tickets for opening night in the nosebleeds and, as an avid concert goer and Taylor Swift fan (and bestie to a HUGE Swiftie) – here’s everything you need to know before going.
My Outfit
First thing is first – my tour outfit. My friend Caitlin shared a bunch of videos for tour outfit ideas if you want to check our her Instagram here. I went the ‘Reputation Era’ route with a lace dress and fun rhinestone boots. I got compliments on both all night and, just in time, both pieces are on sale.
These shoes aren’t awful but I’d highly recommend comfortable shoes. I was able to walk, dance, and jump in these for about 10 hours and I still desperately wanted them off at the end of the night. Some people were already struggling before the show even started.
The Merch
If you want to get merch – here are my tips:
A lot of the merch options in person are also online (but not all in-person options are online). If you see something you like online, skip the in-person line and just order online.
If you do want to see the city-specific merch, plan on arriving around noon when the merch first opens to avoid longer lines and the possibility of being stuck in line and missing the opening acts. My friend ended up waiting in line for over two hours and she got in line around 5:30 pm and got to her seat around 7:30 pm. By the time she got her merch, they had also sold out of some items.
At least in Glendale, they did have bags so you could carry anything you purchased without lugging around individual items.
There were some merch lines inside the stadium, but the most items were in the Merch stands before you go in.
All merch stands are cashless.
The Logistics
Merch opens at noon, doors open at 4:30 (unless you’re VIP – this post applies to peasants with normal tickets only), and the first set starts at 6:30.
This is city specific, but just so you can get an idea:
Glendale is about 20 miles from Scottsdale and Phoenix. Given that a few of us had to work Friday morning, we left my apartment in Scottsdale at 3 pm and got to Glendale around 4 pm. The drive probably had about 20-30 minutes of traffic when we left that only got worse as the day went on. A lot of people missed the opening acts due to underestimating traffic.
If possible, I’d recommend getting ready for your concert in the morning and planning an all-day event around it. Get to the area, park, eat, get your merch, and hang out until the concert for a more stress-free experience.
We parked at a nearby mall, which was charging $30 (cashless only) for parking. We ate dinner and had a few drinks in the area and then walked to the stadium.
You should definitely plan on having a designated driver and car.
If you are traveling from out of town, I’d recommend having a rental car. While getting a rideshare there is fairly easy, a lot of people couldn’t get rides at the end of the night. It took us over an hour to get out of the parking lot, but at least we had a certain ride.
If you are flying:
I’d recommend flying in the day before if possible. Don’t let flight schedules and delays be the reason you miss this concert.
Tips + Tricks
Bring earplugs. I was so grateful for mine.
If you want, bring a change of shoes in your car.
Have a credit card for cashless events.
Add an extra 1-2 hours of time for how long you think everything will take.
The Setlist
Taylor went through each era in her setlist with an outfit change for each. I broke down the setlist by each era, but some things to note:
She plans on changing the acoustic set at every show.
The Speak Now era was noticeably shorter than every other era. This is likely due to the hints around the re-release of the album.
There is no encore, but the set is approximately 3 hours.
Lover Era
“Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince”
“Cruel Summer”
“The Man”
“You Need to Calm Down”
“Lover”
“The Archer”
Fearless Era
“Fearless
“You Belong With Me”
“Love Story”
Evermore Era
“Tis the Damn Season”
“Willow”
“Marjorie”
“Champagne Problems”
“Tolerate It”
Reputation Era
“…Ready for It?”
“Delicate”
“Don’t Blame Me”
“Look What You Made Me Do”
Speak Now Era
“Enchanted”
Red Era
“22”
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
“I Knew You Were Trouble”
“All Too Well (10 Minute Version)”
Folklore Era
“Invisible String”
“Betty”
“The Last Great American Dynasty”
“August”/ “Illicit Affairs”
“My Tears Ricochet”
“Cardigan”
1989 Era
“Style”
“Blank Space”
“Shake It Off”
“Wildest Dreams”
“Bad Blood”
Acoustic Set
“Mirrorball” (acoustic)
“Tim McGraw” (acoustic)
Midnights Era
“Lavender Haze”
“Anti-Hero”
“Midnight Rain”
“Vigilante Shit”
“Bejeweled”
“Mastermind”
“Karma”
Have so much fun at your concert and I hope everything goes smoothly for all your shows.
