Taylor Swift sings during her Red section of the The Eras Tour. Despite being sold out in every stadium, she was described as having, “the ability to make a huge stadium show feel like an intimate performance,” says Swiftie R. Williams. (Image courtesy of Wales Online)

As 2024 comes to an end, the sensationalized Eras Tour is not only marked in the history books for its remarkability but also crowned as the highest-grossing tour of all time. However, despite Taylor Swift’s tour officially ending on Dec. 8, 2024, for most Swifties and non-Swifties alike, the tour’s impact on their lives is Forever & Always. So, while you might be frustrated by even more Taylor Swift focus from yet another news outlet, there is a reason why the commentary on this tour runs so deep. The reason being: why, compared to any other tour, is there such a significant impact? Was it the much-needed relief for a divided world, or did it close wounds we didn’t even know we had?

An avid Swiftie, R. Williams, who traveled the world to see multiple Eras Tour shows in Scotland, Toronto, and Foxboro, MA witnessed the changes of the show itself, and how the tour melded into countless cultures. “The Eras Tour has helped people focus on hope and positivity, and come together when in our society it has had a tendency lately to be more polarizing,” said Williams. 

Ultimately, the reason why people’s tears ricochet is because they not only lost something familiar and idolized, but they lost the unexpected support system and emotional outlet that carried them through the political divide, COVID aftermath and countless personal struggles. After all, The Eras Tour, “captured everything that we all relate to—love, girlhood and existential questioning,” said Williams. 

While The Eras Tour undeniably resonated on a global scale, the invisible string between her artistry and the emotional connection with her fans is beyond anything seen before. “Taylor Swift’s songs have been the soundtrack of my life,” said Williams. “Swift’s vulnerability through her lyrics has given us the validation that our own feelings matter.” 

On a more personalized perspective, many can also attest to the self-actualization resulting from Swift’s artistry. “The tour means a lot to me because Taylor, having faced so much criticism, showed me that even through the criticism and dark times, you can make it through and come back even stronger. She’s a true role model,” said Hollis Brookline High School student Ava Barry ‘26. 

The Eras Tour is officially left in 2024 and a new year begins. The tour can be seen for its iconography of collective reflection and personal transformation. Now welcoming 2025 with the message to “take the moment and taste it,” we can now see, that it’s not “the end of an era, but the start of an age.”