Aptly stated by Bloomberg in a 2014 article, “Taylor Swift is the music industry.” Swift is consistently breaking records, consequently setting the bar high for other musical artists.
Swift’s Eras Tour began Mar. 17 in Glendale, Arizona. Tickets, which first went on sale in November, were not easy to come by. Ticketmaster, the company responsible for all ticket sales, did not properly prepare for the demand of tickets. This resulted in customers waiting in queues spanning hours on end.
Some who were unable to purchase tickets in original sales were given verified fan codes at a later date and were able to purchase them then. Others were not as lucky, as resellers have marked up ticket prices up to $900-$1000.
Gracie Keel ‘26 did not try to purchase tickets. She enjoys Taylor’s music, but she did not want to try to get verified fan code, as she wanted Swift’s fans to get tickets.
“I felt bad trying to get tickets because I am not a superfan,” Keel said. “I didn’t want to take away the opportunity of seeing her perform from people that really wanted to.”
A large group of Wofford fans purchased tickets to attend the show in Atlanta. Other students, like Lena Strauss ‘26, saw the tour in a different venue. On Apr. 2, Strauss saw the Arlington Night 3 concert over Spring Break with her sister.
“At some times, my sister and I were screaming in excitement, while at other times, we were sobbing,” Strauss said.
Strauss is what many would call a lucky one, as she is going to another show in Kansas City in July, also with her sister.
“I feel very blessed to be able to see this mesmerizing concert more than once,” Strauss said.
More common among Wofford students was the ability to enjoy one of the three nights in Atlanta at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Apr. 28-30.
The road to the Atlanta concert was not easy for quite a few people. Lilly Vandagriff bought tickets to go see Taylor with friends. She left campus around 1 p.m. on Apr. 28 to make it to the concert that same day.
While on the way to the Apr. 28 concert, Vandagriff and her friends experienced quite a few bumps in the road. One of the roads that the group was driving on suddenly closed, forcing them to reroute. Vandagriff’s friend, McKenzie, got a flat tire.
Vandagriff and her concert group were pushed behind schedule and stuck in infamous Atlanta traffic. The flat tire put Vandagriff and her friends severely behind schedule, and they arrived at Mercedes Benz Stadium right at 6:30 p.m, when the tour openers began. The show, according to Vandagriff, was worth the hardship to get there.
“When Taylor came onto the stage at the beginning of the show, she thanked everyone for making the trip to be there. She said that a lot of us worked really hard to get there. I looked around at my friends, and nodded in agreement,” Vandagriff said.
In an Instagram post commemorating the three shows she performed in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Swift said was in awe of the crowd response in Atlanta.
“WOW Atlanta just… wow. The band, dancers, and I can’t stop talking about how insanely magical it was playing for you guys the past 3 nights. You were always bouncing, dancing, screaming every lyric. And you created so many breathtaking moments for us, you know what I mean. Looove yooouuu,” Swift’s post read.
Fans theorized Swift’s caption on Instagram to be an easter egg that suggests the singer would be re-releasing the album, “Speak Now,” Taylor’s version. This was assumed because the singer emphasized the last “three nights” and used a purple heart.
“Speak Now” was her third album and is associated with the color purple.
The assumptions of fans were confirmed when Swift announced the release date of the re-recorded album at the first Nashville Show at Nissan stadium on May 5. Swift’s fans, also known as “Swifties,” appeared to be correct in their theories.
It is safe to say that Wofford Taylor Swift fans will always remember the moment of seeing Taylor in the back of their minds, especially now knowing what Swift had up her sleeves. Swift and fans alike had the time of their lives in Atlanta.
