Securing tickets to the hottest concert of the year — The Eras Tour — was no easy feat, but the prep work for the best night of your life doesn’t stop there! Here are my tips for the Eras Tour, so you enjoy every second of the concert!
When I found out we got tickets to see Taylor Swift in Tampa, Florida, for the Eras Tour, I immediately texted my girlfriend, Brittnee, because she had just been to the Dallas, Texas, show. My tips are a combination of what she shared with me, and things I learned from the Tampa concert. So, my first tip is to reach out to friends who have been to an Eras Tour show before yours and get their tips, too!
Tips for the Eras Tour 2023
Outfit + Makeup
First, wear sneakers! Everyone stands the entire time Taylor is on stage (which is a little more than three hours)! Get a cute, comfy pair of sneakers that look good with your outfit. I wore glitter Golden Goose sneakers with my dress, and my feet were sore but not awful.
If you want to wear something sparkly or covered in sequins, prep now. BuddyLove and Queen of Sparkles have some great options, but sizes sell out and get restocked. You can also keep an eye on H&M, Zara, and ASOS for sparkly outfits.
Be sure to try everything on ahead of time, so you don’t have any wardrobe issues the day of the concert and have to stress shop to find something last minute.
Also, if the stadium you’re attending is outdoors — check the weather ahead of time. If it rains, she’ll continue to perform. So, you’ll be standing in the rain, too. The only time she won’t perform is if there is thunder and lightning. So, if it’s going to potentially rain, have a rain jacket or poncho with you.
For makeup, go as glittery and shimmery as you want. Fan of the red lip? Do it, girl! Want a Lover album vibe? Try some pink eyeshadow and liner. Feeling the lavender haze? Violet eyeshadow and purple glitter liner are your go-tos!
Bag Sizes + Allowed Items in the Stadium
This is my biggest of the tips for the Eras Tour: Bag sizes and allowed bags change from stadium to stadium, so be sure to check the official rules for the stadium you’re seeing the Eras Tour at. The Raymond James Stadium had a no bag policy, so clutches had to be 4.5″x6.5″ or smaller — clear bag or not.
Also, check to see what items you are allowed to bring in the stadium. Raymond James’ rules were confusing. I packed a selfie light and an external battery charger to take in because everyone recommended them for selfies and to recharge your phone if the battery got low, but I had to toss mine at security. Although, I did see other people on the floor with portable chargers, so maybe we just got a bad security person, who knows.
Either way, read all the rules so you don’t have to throw anything away or return it to your car and stand in the security line all over again.
If You’re Parking at the Stadium
Brittnee gets a gold medal for this advice! She recommended we pack a cooler with drinks and take snacks since we had paid parking at a stadium lot. It took them forever to get out of the parking lot, and they were so glad they had drinks and snacks.
It took us 1.5 hours to get out of the stadium parking after the concert, and having snacks in the car was a lifesaver!
Eras Tour Merch Lines
There is a merch bus outside of the stadium that opens pretty early in the morning on concert days. Wait until you get inside the stadium to do merch! Anyone can stand in line for merch outside the stadium, and news articles said some people even slept in line the night before for merch. So, the outside merch line can be hours long!
Inside, you’ll still wait for merch, but there are so many merch tables set up that you shouldn’t have a problem. I think we waited 20–30 minutes in line to shop merch and we got everything we wanted in the right sizes.
If you’re not a fan of the openers, that’s a good time to stand in the merch line. You can also go during the Folklore or Evermore sets.
During the Taylor Swift Concert
Taylor went on right about 8 p.m. EST for our show in Tampa. There is also a countdown clock that goes up at 2 minutes and 30 seconds before the show starts, so you’ll have a warning of when to be in your seats.
Put your phone in airplane mode. This will help hold your battery charge longer, but you’ll still be able to take videos and photos.
Plan your food and drinks, and bathrooms trips accordingly. This sounds so crazy, but once the concert starts, you aren’t going to want to miss a second of it.
The bathroom lines were super long, especially for floor seats. Be sure to use the restroom before Taylor goes on. Next opportunities for restroom breaks would be the Folklore or Evermore sets since these are slower-paced songs.
Make sure you eat and stay hydrated. We had hot dogs at our seats right when the concert started and we stuck to just water the whole night. That also helped cut down on bathroom breaks.
Video as much as you can and take photos because you’ll want to keep rewatching them days and weeks later. I felt a little weird recording so much in the beginning, but I’ve rewatched them over and over again since! Can’t quit reliving that night.
Leaving the Stadium
Be sure to use the restroom before you leave the stadium. No one leaves the concert early, so all 70,000+ of you are exiting the stadium at the same time. You’re going back to parking lots, ride-share pickup locations, public transportation all at the same time, which causes a major delay. Take the time to use the restroom before exiting the stadium because there is no need to rush, and you’ll be happy you did if you get stuck in traffic for a long time.
If you’ve been to the Eras Tour, what pieces of advice would you add to the list? Drop them in the comments!
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