Taylor Swift's tour is ending. For girls, its impact is far from over.
The Eras Tour may be coming to a close, but Taylor Swift's shows were more than just concerts. They allowed for a burst of self-expression, channeled through fashion, friendship and even motherhood.
Will those feelings end when the last Eras show concludes? Maybe not. Swift brought women and girls together, often across generations in a way that may long outlast her final note on stage.
Take my Eras experience as an example. When I was lucky enough to receive tickets to Swift's stop in Philadelphia in May 2023, my mom was first in line to snag my plus one. Neither of us are "Swifties," per se, but I grew up with her music on every radio station, so car rides were often soundtracked to her early hits like "You Belong With Me" and "Love Story." When I learned the piano, I practiced with a book of sheet music for "Speak Now." "Back To December" remains one of the only songs I remember how to play.
So, getting to experience such a momentous moment in pop culture with my mom just felt right.
And, the majority of women in my life who attended the Eras Tour also went with their mothers or sisters and indulged in all the "girly" preparations. Outfits were planned months in advance, sometimes before the flights were even booked, with countless U.S. fans traveling abroad for European summer shows. Attire featured sparkly bodysuits and pink cowgirl hats, as well as clever lyrically inspired T-shirts. There was no wrong way to dress – whether you wanted to show up with glitter and thrills or in a pair of jeans.
Fans felt at 'home' at their Eras show
While "stan culture" can get intense, the affection among Swifties is undeniable. If it's not visible on their faces, you can see it on their wrists, often adorned with handmade friendship bracelets that they trade outside the venue.
"I’ve never felt so safe and happy like I felt at my Eras show. The Eras Tour means home for all of us, Thank you Taylor for building something so magical," one fan tweeted about her Eras experience.
Some fans managed to snag tickets to multiple dates and even flew across the country (or world!) to see Swift. In Vienna, a terror threat led to the cancellation of that show. Yet fans gathered in Vienna to sing together, place friendship bracelets on trees, dance, hug and cry.
"I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together," Swift wrote on Instagram in August.
And while the term "girlhood" has at times been convoluted or used in a problematic way, moments like these embraced it in its purest sense.
Will the Eras Tour ever end?
Is the Eras Tour almost over? Yes.
But maybe when the glitter has been swept up and the friendship bracelets have fallen off, teen girls will give into that urge to call their moms a bit more; millennial women will stand up and dance the next time they hear a song they love; or a woman you've never met will leave a nice comment (instead of a negative one) on your TikTok.
And if that's what we're left with, it's not a bad souvenir.