Paris was in the grip of Taylor Swift fever on Thursday as the record-breaking Eras Tour made its long-awaited arrival in Europe. Fans were thrilled to witness the first live performances of tunes from Taylor’s newest album at the La Defense Arena in Paris. The 34-year-old pop icon expressed her wishes of touring Europe more as she interacted with the enthusiastic crowd, labeling them as a dream audience. The venue was filled with screams of excitement as typewriter sheets flashed on screens, signaling the beginning of songs from her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”
In a dress adorned with lyrics, she made her entrance and performed some of the edgier new songs like “But Daddy I Love Him” and “Fortnight.” The highlight was a powerful version of “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” and a fancy routine for “I Can Do it with a Broken Heart” inspired by golden-era Hollywood.
During the performance at “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” in Paris, Taylor Swift sang a variety of songs, including hits from “The Tortured Poets Department” like “So High School,” “Down Bad,” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” She jokingly referred to the album as “Female Rage: the Musical,” much to the delight of the audience. For many fans, hearing these songs live was a dream come true. Eleven-year-old Emma, who had traveled from New York with her mother, expressed her excitement, saying she had been looking forward to it for a long time. Aside from adding songs from “The Tortured Poets Department,” the show also saw changes in the setlist. The most significant alteration was the combination of the “Folklore” and “Evermore” setlists, resulting in the removal of four songs: “‘Tis the Damn Season,” “Tolerate It,” “The 1,” and “The Last Great American Dynasty,” as reported by ETonline.
During the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift announced that the sisters, referring to her albums “Folklore” and “Evermore,” are now combined into one chapter. Fans can choose to call it “Folklore, Evermore” or simply the Sister Albums, as long as they promise to sing “Champagne Problems” with her. Changes were made to the setlist, with “The Archer” being removed from the “Lovers” portion and “Long Live” taken out from the “Speak Now” era. A surprise addition was the performance of the bonus track “Paris” from the “Midnights” album. To accommodate the new era, adjustments were made to the show lineup. The “Red” era was shifted to the third slot, and the latest album was introduced after the “1989” set. Georg’Ann Daly decided to celebrate her 23rd birthday at the Paris show, taking the effort to travel from Nashville to Chicago to London, and finally catching the Eurostar to Paris.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Taylor Swift,” she excitedly shared with AFP. Some die-hard fans even set up camp in Paris from Tuesday to snag the best spot for her concert. “I wasn’t planning to camp out, but when I saw the first tents, I just had to join in,” said Chris, 30. Noah, 20, went to great lengths to secure tickets for all four Paris concerts, using 22 different email addresses in the lottery system. The fans of Taylor Swift were buzzing as they arrived at Paris La Defense Arena for The Eras Tour. After her Paris shows, Swift will continue her tour with stops in several European countries including Sweden, Portugal, Spain, and more.
The Eras Tour has been making its way through various countries in North and South America, as well as Asia, since its launch in March 2023.
