Taylor Swift is touring for the first time since 2018 and has released four studio albums — Lover, Folklore, Evermore and Midnights — in the five years that followed her Reputation Stadium Tour. Swift announced The Eras Tour on Nov. 1, 2022, just weeks following the announcement of Midnights, her tenth studio album. 

The timing of the announcements led some to believe that The Eras Tour would essentially become a Midnights-centric tour, but that wasn’t the case. Swift opened the tour on March 17 in Glendale, Arizona with a 44-track set list that spanned much of her discography to date.

Since a showing of The Eras Tour is a long concert bringing unprecedented fan turnout, you’ll have to consider different things than other concerts when preparing to see Swift on tour.

Wear Comfortable Shoes 

The Eras Tour can extend beyond five hours in length when you consider openers, intermissions and Swift’s lengthy performance. Though exact total times will vary based on the openers and final set list at each venue, Swift’s typical set list runs roughly three hours and 13 minutes. 

At the March 17 show in Glendale, fans remained on their feet for the entirety of the show, and other showings to date have displayed the same fan involvement. That’ll mean attendees will need to stand up to catch a glimpse of Swift for hours straight, most likely standing on concrete stadiums. To stay comfortable and avoid missing out, wear running shoes, quality sneakers or other sturdy shoes to the concert.

Don’t Stand In Line For The Merch Truck

The Eras Tour has brought incredible demand for tour merchandise, and some items have sold out at showings within minutes of gates opening. Though some merchandise items are available on Swift’s online store, others — like the highly-sought blue crewneck — are exclusive to the tour. 

Gates typically open for 6:30 p.m. showings two hours before the scheduled start times. A large merchandise truck usually opens at noon, with lines forming even before that. Though people have suggested standing in line for the merch truck hours before entering the venue, that isn’t the best way to be successful. 

Instead, wait in line after passing through the security checkpoint in front of the stadium’s gates. There are a multitude of merchandise stands inside the venue that have stock of all the most popular merchandise items. Waiting in front of the stadium gates will allow you to be the first to enter the venue, all but guaranteeing access to merchandise. 

However, keep in mind that not all merchandise stands have the same items available. Be sure to glance at the red tapestry showcasing available items before getting in line to wait. 

Bring Earplugs. Seriously.

A ton of people have suggested that concert-goers wear protective earplugs to The Eras Tour shows, and it’s easy to dismiss the idea. Of course, after paying hundreds of dollars to see Swift, attendees want to make sure they are enjoying the atmosphere to the fullest. 

Regardless, people going to The Eras Tour should seriously consider wearing earplugs to the concert. It’s not necessarily to protect the wearer’s ears from the sound of Swift’s music — that sound level is about the same as other stadium concerts. 

But not many other concerts have more than 70,000 people scream-singing lyrics at the top of their lungs for hours straight. Ever experienced ear pain because someone was screaming in your ear? That’s essentially what The Eras Tour can be, at times. 

And yes, you’ll still be able to hear all of Swift’s stunning vocals while wearing ear protection.

Make A Clear Bag Plan Before You Go

Most people attending The Eras Tour will be going to stadiums near their home, and may have attended those venues previously. However, Swift has enacted her own bag policies that may differ from the stadium’s typical policies. 

Generally, The Eras Tour has a stringent bag policy that requires all bags to be clear and not exceed 12” x 6” x 12” dimensions. A detailed list of prohibited items for Swift’s showing at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan can be found here, but check with your venue for the exact policy. 

To make sure your items are in compliance, make a plan before leaving to ensure nothing gets thrown away at the security checkpoint. It’s important to purchase a clear bag in advance, because prices will be higher at and around the stadium on the day of the showing. 

Ready Your Smartphone

The length of Eras Tour shows poses another problem, this time for your phone. Since the concert is upwards of five hours long — and attendees might have to travel before and after with their device — battery is a concern. To combat this, make sure phones are fully charged, low power mode is enabled and brightness is down when possible. 

Consider purchasing a portable charger for the event and remember to bring the right cables for your device. This could extend a phone’s life by hours, depending on the portable charger.

For people that plan to record a lot of photos and videos of the concert, check how much storage is left on your smartphone. A photo can take up as many as 25 megabytes of storage, with videos taking up gigabytes of space based on their length. To free up space, upload media to the cloud, save it to a computer or delete unnecessary apps for the time being. 

If you’re really in a pinch for space, Android users can utilize expanded storage with a microSD card or a USB-C flash drive. For iPhone users, the Sandisk iXpand flash drive can add up to 256 gigabytes of extra storage.  

Enjoy The Show

After fighting tooth-and-nail for concert tickets, you’ve gotten the chance to see The Eras Tour, so follow these tips for the best experience.