The Impact Of Social Media On The Success Of The Eras Tour

Taylor Swifts, The Eras Tour, has been one of the biggest and most popular world tours of our time. From the first announcement to the final week of the tour, the popularity has only grown greater. However, a significant proportion of the tours popularity can be argued as a result of social media and the growth of social platforms and trends.

It became very apparent during the first ticket sales for the North American leg of the tour that Taylor tickets were in high demand. We witnessed the Ticketmaster chaos and the extreme lengths fans were willing to go to secure tickets. It was like nothing else we have ever seen, and yet it has set the tone for any future ticket sales for any big artists. But why is this? Why has the Eras Tour been in such high demand?

First of all, the concept of the Eras Tour is perfect for capturing the attention of all ages. For many, there has been a point in our lives where a Taylor song has been the soundtrack to our lives, whether we have realized it or not. Even if Taylor's latest albums haven't been a current favourite, it is highly likely a past song or album has had your heart at one point or another. Therefore, knowing that a past album or song is going to be performed at The Eras Tour, is suddenly more appealing. Taylor's ability to create a completely new concept and aesthetic for each of her albums has created a lasting impact on fans' lives, as each aesthetic often relates to a certain time and age of our lives. This has meant that many people have gone to the eras tour in order to see a song or an album preformed live that represents a certain point in their lives, adding a deeper meaning to the event.

However, a large part of the tour's popularity can also be seen as a result of social media. The large interest in The Eras tour rapidly spread across multiple social media platforms as many discussed their desire to attend. Especially once the tickets became hard to get, the tour became a must-see event, even for non-fans. Just like many things, the scarcity of tickets led to a greater demand and desire. We always want what we can't have. In many ways, buying tickets to the tour became almost a challenge or a game. As if whoever could succeed in getting tickets was better than everyone else.

Similar to Harry Styles' tour the previous summer, The Eras Tour became more of a trend rather than purely a concert or event. The social media content that started even before the tour began, made the concerts look exciting and monumental, and therefore somewhere you had to be. We saw outfit preparations, friendship bracelet making, and ticket purchasing, which only added to the excitement of the tour and the start of trends.

Once the tour started, those who were lucky enough to get tickets were able to create content that was captivating and exciting. The tour and social media created trends that people could hop on and participate in during their shows, again adding another level of excitement and joy to people's lives. Without these trends spreading across social media, it is hard to say that the same level of excitement would have been so wide spread, especially within casual fans.

Even Taylor herself played a large role in the uniqueness of the tour. Having different outfits, and playing 'surprise songs' each show, allowed a great sense of anticipation towards their show and created an element of differentiation. This again made people feel as if their show was special and important and made it something those at home missed out on. By knowing there was a unique element to each show increased fan's need to attend multiple shows even greater. These unique aspects of the show would be watched by many all over the internet and created an ever greater desire and passion for the show.

Especially after having been stuck inside during the Pandemic, the thought of being able to dress up and go to such a large event with your friends made the tour even more appealing.

It is clear that The Eras Tour has made a significant impact on the music industry and the future of artists tours and has set expectations that all major artists must aim towards.

let me know your thoughts on the Eras Tour - do you think we will see a tour like it in the future?

Lizzie Lou x