Hello fellow Swifties, this weekend was truly one for the books.
Taylor Swift took to the massive diamond shaped runway stage centered on the floor of Glendale's State Farm Stadium. The city of Glendale pulled out all of the stops in order for the weekend to shimmer appropriately, renaming to Swift City for her two-night stint.
Glendale is SO enchanted to meet Taylor Swift as she kicks off ‘The Eras Tour’ at State Farm Stadium that the city has taken on SWIFT CITY as a symbolic new name for March 17 and 18. There is no need to calm down, we’re fearless and doing something highly unusual to celebrate the fact that Taylor’s concerts start right here! We know all too well that she’s one of the most influential artists of her generation and we are writing our own love story for her and greeting every Swiftie in style! Glendale Mayor Jerry P. Weiers issued a proclamation on March 13, 2023 revealing the city of Glendale’s new name, which will be in effect for the State Farm Stadium concert days on March 17 and 18, 2023. Westgate Entertainment District and freeways will be dressed like a daydream with special billboard welcome messages.
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ broke all-time records for the most concert tickets sold by an artist in a single day and Swift is the first act in history to sell out two shows at that State Farm Stadium on a single tour. And that level of epic proportion can be felt upon arrival to the venue.
Arrive Early
To the concert fanatics that can always be found at a show, this will come as no surprise to you but if the Eras Tour will be your first stadium experience, ensure you arrive early. It took my group over twenty minutes to park, and we didn't even park at the stadium!
Research your Parking Options
Do your homework and see what prices you should expect to pay for parking. At both the stadium and Westgate Entertainment District (essentially a large outdoor mall) parking was $30 per car. They accepted both cash and card, which was super helpful.
My boyfriend and I already expected a wait and a big parking fee, since we had just been at the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in January. Just knowing what to expect can take a big weight off of the anticipation of the evening.
Pack Water
Check your venue's rules for what you can bring in, but our stadium allowed sealed bottles of water to go through security. I wish I thought of bringing some for our whole group because we were dancing around, scream singing and cheering alongside the crowd all night. Water at the venue is going to be $6.50+ for a single bottle, so do yourself a favor and pick up a pack of water bottles on the way.
Eat beforehand
To say lines for chicken fingers, fries and pizzas were long, would be a massive understatement. Lines were stretched through all areas of the stadium for drinks, food and merch. Eating beforehand was definitely the way to go. My group showed up at 4:30p and ate at the Westgate Entertainment District. Lines were long there too, but nothing like the stadium – for much better food. We ended up eating at the bar of a Greek place, since it was the fastest place that could sit six.
I will add to this tip, eat something that will fuel you for the next five hours and not leave you feeling like crap. Falafel was actually one of the best things I could have eaten beforehand, as it was light but filling and kept me energized for the rest of the evening of dancing, belting and screaming.
Wear Comfortable Shoes
If you were to know any information about the Taylor Swift concert before arriving, it should be that the concert is LONG. I went opening night (not-so-subtle humble flex 💅🏻) and actually had no idea what I was in store for. GAYLE of "abcdefu" fame performed for half an hour before Paramore rocked the stadium with a nine song setlist. But at 8p on the dot (there was a countdown that started two minutes beforehand) the lights dimmed and the stadium bracelets lit up and we welcomed the queen herself. Era after era, the hits continued to flow and I kept nervously looking at my watch, anxiously thinking of all the hits that couldn't be covered in a two hour setlist. But then, she kept singing. And the outfits kept changing. And the hits kept getting belted out! At one point, my friend leaned over to ask me, "Is she going to play until midnight?"
Dr. Taylor Alison Swift performed for a phenomenal and mind-bending three hours and fifteen minutes.
So to the fellas over there, with the hella good hair and the insanely tall heels, perhaps reconsider your footwear for the evening. The concert is much more enchanting when you can focus on the performance, rather than your aching, blistering feet.
Make sure your outfit is comfortable for dancing/standing
As Taylor Swift said on night one, I've seen the TikToks! You are all making incredible outfits and costumes encompassing an era, a specific lyric or one-off outfit from Taylor's extensive career. And while the glow from the refrigerator light refrigerator costume is hilarious, just make sure it isn't going to damper your marvelous time and ruin everything.
Make sure your phone is charged + bring a portable charger
Not only is it forward thinking if you want to be taking photos and videos all night, while posting to social media, it also ensures you'll be able to get home after the show.
Bring a clear bag
It seems like Phoenix has officially made the full switch over to clear bags for all public gatherings, and so was the same for State Farm Stadium. Now is a great time to invest in a high quality clear bag, since you'll need it for virtually every concert you go to in the future. I brought a pink fanny pack in my clear bag and the security guard let me through and just told me to watch it.
Take in every era as it comes
While I was not-so-patiently waiting to get to the "Midnights" era, I wish I had spent more time fully enjoying every era as it came and passed. (Even though I barely had anytime to enjoy "Speak Now", Taylor!) The 44-song setlist has changed from night one to two with a never-repeating acoustic portion of the concert, which for night one was "Tim McGraw" and "mirrorball." So soak in those special moments, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it, you've got no reason to be afraid😉
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