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It’s fair to say that the two nights I spent on Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018 rank among the top five of my life, and not just because I met Swift in person before the show. The few other times I’ve seen her perform, including the 1989 tour, would easily be in her top 10.
And yet, I won’t be among the thousands of people watching the Eras Tour movie this weekend, even though I’m a Disney Plus subscriber. Likewise, I didn’t go see the movie in the theater or pay to rent it online. I have decided not to watch the movie at all, at least for now. (I realize you may feel otherwise, in which case check out 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. This will all change in less than three months when Swift arrives in Edinburgh as she embarks on the UK leg of her tour. This is the first time I will see the show that has been dominating cultural discourse for the last year, as Swift has traveled throughout the United States, Latin America, Australia and Singapore.
Until I experience the Eras Tour for myself, I won’t be watching the film version. This is because I want the first time I see the entire show to be in person and not through a screen. I am far from alone in making this decision. Many Swifties across Europe with tickets to this summer’s dates have also opted not to abuse the tour’s content. One of my friends pulled off the impossible and somehow managed to avoid almost all tour content on social media, and he still doesn’t know the set list.
I haven’t been so strict with myself. I’m familiar not only with the song list, but also the costumes and every beat of the show’s opening number. I’ve examined diagrams mapping Swift’s movements around the stage so I can choose the best positions for nights when I have fixed entrances. After each show, I indulge in surprise song performances in the acoustic section, since I know it’s unlikely I’ll be able to see these songs live. It’s made the wait for the show to come to my region of the world painful at times, but it’s hard not to immerse myself in the wealth of tour content available.
I know Don’t Blame Me will be the highlight of the show.
After the Reputation Tour, the film that was available to stream until the end of 2023 on Netflix became one of my most frequently re-watched pieces of content on the platform. It was almost permanently downloaded to my iPad so I could access it when I couldn’t sleep on red-eye flights or when there were delays on British trains. My now husband even put it on to distract me while he was getting ready to propose to me.
I can already anticipate a time in the near future when I will feel the same way about the Eras Tour movie. Once I have experienced the show for myself, I will immediately discard my current stance in favor of streaming it repeatedly. It’s a true test of my willpower not to give in at this moment, just as it was when it was shown at my local cinema. (I did go in to buy the bucket and cup of popcorn, though.)
I also hope the movie returns to theaters at a later date for Swifties like me and my friends who have decided to hold off for now. I know that reliving the Eras Tour on screens big and small will be something to look forward to once the post-concert blues hit.
When I finally see the film, it will not be as a precursor to the pleasures that await me, but rather as a time capsule containing a cherished memory of what will inevitably be a new entry on the list of the five best nights of my life.
Bonus hint: TikTok is changing the way you discover music. Meet the young creators who make it happen