As a French girl living in the US and a huge Swiftie, seeing Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has been a huge dream of mine. With tickets for the US leg of the tour being incredibly hard to get and insanely expensive, I knew I had to find another way to experience this magic live. When Taylor announced dates for the European tour, I instantly knew what I had to do. It was the perfect occasion to fly back home to see my family and Taylor Swift. Here’s how I girlmath’ed my way to Paris to watch Taylor Swift’s concert.
Girlmath for swiftie
Girl math: a humorous way for girls to justify an extravagant or unnecessary expense, like spending money on Eras Tour tickets, for instance. So here is the Swiftie math! Resales of Taylor Swift concert tickets in the US were going for a couple of thousand dollars – tickets ranged from $2,000 to $8,000. Meanwhile, tickets in France were about $100-$300, thanks to European ticket regulations. I got lucky and received a code to access the Ticketmaster sale in my home country, and I managed to snag tickets. I bought a flight to France which cost me $940 return. Accommodation-wise, I stayed at my friends’ in Paris, saving on hotel expenses. Girl math: it was cheaper for me to travel internationally and score tickets in my home country than trying to see Taylor Swift in the US.
To make the experience even more special, I decided to take my dad to the concert. Since I moved abroad and rarely get to spend time with my family, it was so meaningful for me to share this special moment with him at home. He was absolutely thrilled when I surprised him with the concert ticket!
Experiencing The Eras Tour
From choosing the perfect outfit to watching every single grainy livestream of the eras tour on tiktok and making friendship bracelets, the eras tour has been a long time coming for me. The excitement in Paris was palpable as we made our way to the venue. I traded lots of friendship bracelets with other Swifties while making my way to the concert venue, complimenting everyone on their outfits. I was dressed as ‘Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl and my dad had a red shirt saying, “It’s me, hi, I’m the dad, it’s me!”. The crowd was buzzing with anticipation. Up first, at 6:30 PM, was Paramore, Taylor’s opening act. Paramore, one of the most famous rock bands in the world, delivered an incredible performance with Hayley’s energy lighting up the stage!
As soon as Taylor took the stage, the energy was electric. The Eras Tour is a culmination of Taylor’s entire musical career, featuring songs from all her past albums. The setlist was a perfect journey through her musical evolution, with 46 songs across three and a half hours of show. I sang and danced my heart out to each and every song. One unique aspect of each Eras Tour concert is that Taylor always performs two surprise songs from her entire discography, one on the guitar and one on the piano. I was thrilled to hear two surprise songs: “Paris” and “Loml” , one of my favorite tracks from her new album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD).
Taylor Swift’s New Album: The Tortured Poets Department
Not long before her concert in Paris, Taylor released her brand new double album: The Tortured Poets Department. TTPD is a deeply introspective and poetic album, showcasing Taylor’s growth as a songwriter. It explores themes of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery with a maturity and depth that resonates with fans new and old. She even has soundtracks featuring Post Malone and Florence and The Machine.
There was a lot of speculation that Taylor might change the setlist of the Eras Tour to include some songs from TTPD. And that’s exactly what Taylor did to start the European leg of the tour. Seven songs from her new double album were performed for the very first time in Paris. This set featured visually stunning stage designs and heartfelt performances of the new songs, bringing the album to life in a way that only Taylor Swift can. Here are the songs that she added to the Eras Tour setlist:
The Tortured Poets Department
- But Daddy I Love Him
- So High School
- Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
- Down Bad
- Fortnight
- The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
- I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
The inclusion of the TTPD era was a highlight of the night, offering a fresh and exciting element to the tour and it was definitely my favorite era of the concert. However, I was sad to see some of my favorite songs go as Taylor had to make space for the new TTPD songs in her setlist. I was really heartbroken not to see her perform “The 1,” “Long Live,” and “Tolerate It” on stage but the new era definitely makes up for it.
Conclusion
I girlmath’ed my way to Paris to watch Taylor Swift’s concert and it led me to one of the most incredible experiences of my life: seeing Taylor Swift live in Paris with my dad by my side. We even met up with some of my friends in the pit before the show and had the time of our lives. The concert was everything I hoped for and more. From the surprise songs, the beautiful set designs changing with every era, the talented dancers, the enchanting crowd knowing every word of every song, to the new TTPD set and the final fireworks, it was truly the most magical night of my life. Sharing this moment with my dad was unforgettable, making the whole trip even more meaningful.
