Accor Stadium is becoming synonymous with powerful women dominating in their field.
The last time I was at the stadium, I watched Sam Kerr score a worldie in the semi-final of the Women’s Football World Cup. I thought that would be a tough moment to top.
And then in comes Taylor Swift on night one of her Eras Tour and puts on a superlative performce; one of the all-time greatest shows I’ve seen.
At exactly three and half hours and a whopping 45 songs in length, any reasonable person would expect Swift to have a few moments throughout the night that didn’t quite hit the mark. But in all honesty, she nailed it, from the opening to closing note.
Playing songs from her extensive back catalogue, the show entered into all her eras, giving all types of fans something to look forward to throughout the evening.
The main set of the evening started a little later than scheduled due to a characteristically wet Sydney summer storm. The support slot from Sabrina Carpenter was canned (she did come out for a duet later on), while all floor ticket-holders were made to wait in the wings of the stadium before they were given the clear.
Having been to my fair share of shows in my life, I can honestly say the communication between stadium staff to the crowd was exemplary, making what could have been a difficult situation (postponing a show) seem like a walk in the park.
With a sold-out 81,000 in attendance, Swift, her band and dancers were on their A-game from kick-off. Commencing with her Lover era, the opening few songs, including “Cruel Summer” and “You Need to Calm Down,” were absolute treats, while Swift seemed completely genuine and affable when welcoming the crowd and wishing them the best of memories for the evening.
Moving into the Fearless era, “Fearless”, “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story” were received with open arms, hearts and an abundance of ecstatic fans.
Something I couldn’t really comprehend prior to the night was the grasp Taylor Swift has on her fans and pretty much the entire industry. On a night when Blink 182 played to 20,000 people next door, you genuinely would not have known the punk stalwarts existed, based on the sheer numbers, excitement and vibe of Swift fans that flowed through Sydney Olympic Park before and after the show. I’ve never seen it before; I will be genuinely surprised if I see it again.
With the night headed into the Evermore and Reputation eras (“Ready For It” had the best light show in the first half of the night, while “Look What You Made Me Do” was the most raucous and fun song to that point), everything and everyone was firing on all cylinders, before the night was thrown back to some of the earliest of Taylor Swift, with Speak Now getting its time in the sun.
I know I’m not the target market for Taylor Swift’s music. I’m far from a stereotypical fan. I’ve always liked her singles and could appreciate the songwriting, but she was never someone I actively sought out.
I vividly remember driving through Western Sydney on my hour’s drive to university scanning the radio stations in my 1997 Toyota Starlet looking for something to listen to. This was around the time when Red and 1989 were inescapable and Swift was entering the highest echelons of the music world. Every time I turned the radio on, the singles from these albums would inevitably be on one of Sydney’s radio stations. These two albums were the turning point in my appreciation for Taylor Swift, so naturally, the songs from those two albums resonated with me more.
Yet Taylor’s Red era was objectively the pinnacle of the night. “22” had its coming-of-age teen movie vibes, while “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and its sass was infectious. “I Knew You Were Trouble” was a stand-out, while Swift took the plunge and indulged the crowd in the full ten-minute version of the relentlessly emotional “All Too Well”.
Maybe it’s because I’m a redhead, but Red and everything to do with this era felt like Taylor Swift at her peak.
Entering the folklore and 1989 eras, you could sense the night was still in full swing but building to something special. This was mostly acoustic in format, where the crowd was treated to “How You Get The Girl” from 1989 and “White Horse” from Fearless, featuring Carpenter on shared vocal duties. Noting she curated each acoustic section of each set based purely on a whim, I’m confident she nailed the choices. This showed me how seasoned of a performer she has grown to be.
Notably, after Taylor Swift performed “How You Get The Girl” she made a surprise announcement that there will also be an alternate version of her newly announced album, The Tortured Poets Department. This special alternate version will be called The Albatross.
With the set entering its climax via the Midnights era, there was a sense in the stadium that everyone had just witnessed something truly special. From the length and quality of the set, to the pyrotechnics, light show and crowd interactions, to the band and dancers (the real MVPs), you genuinely couldn’t fault what had panned out over the previous three and half hours. Even now, the morning after, I still can’t fathom the spectacle of it all.
There’s a place in the world for this level of performance and event that Taylor Swift put on in Sydney. I’m glad I got to witness it, and if you’re lucky enough to have snagged tickets to the remaining shows, just know that no matter how high your expectations, Taylor will surpass them with a wink and a smile.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Taylor Swift “Eras Tour” Set List – Friday 23rd February, 2024
Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince
Cruel Summer
The Man
You Need To Calm Down
Love
The Archer
Fearless
You Belong With Me
Love Story
’tis the damn season
willow
marjorie
champagne problems
tolerate it
… Ready for It?
Delicate
Don’t Blame Me
Look What You Made Me Do?
Enchanted
Long Live
Red (Intro)
22
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well (Extended Version)
the 1
betty
the last green American dynasty
august
illicit affairs
my tears richochet
cardigan
Style
Blank Space
Shake It Off
Wildest Dreams
Bad Blood
How You Get The Girl
White Horse (Feat. Sabrina Carpenter)
Lavender Haze
Anti-Hero
Midnight Rain
Vigilante Shit
Bejeweled
Mastermind
Karma
Dylan Marshall attended the Sydney show on Friday 23 February.
Photo credit: TAS Rights Management
