The 8 best moments of Taylor Swift's First Eras tour in Toronto

It debuted in New Orleans, then was traded to Indianapolis, and now it's gone international: The giant friendship bracelet, a massive tribute to the fan-driven phenomenon that has become a staple for Eras tour participants, has been displayed outside Rogers Center to welcome fans to night one of six nights. While high winds meant it couldn't stay in Indy, it stood proudly outside Taylor Swift Way, braving some chilly temperatures in the great white north and providing a convenient meeting point for those looking to connect before or after the show.

Before Gracie Abrams took the stage, a sign flashed on the main stage screen that read: “We acknowledge that we are playing today at the Rogers Centre, located on Treaty 13 lands — traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and the traditional home of many other nations, including the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewa, and Wendat peoples. We recognize the First Nations, the Inuit and Métis peoples, whose original lands and treaty lands we stand on.”

Land recognitions are a form of recognition of indigenous peoples and their relationship to their traditional territories, often as a sign of respect and to promote awareness — Swift also did this in Australia to recognize Aboriginal people.

One of Swift's fan-favorite dancers, Kam, has been known to have his own personalized scream when he runs through “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” — often tailoring his moment to the city the tour stops in. night. And he certainly played it up at the first Canadian stop on the tour, leaning into a Canadian accent saying:Sorry – I ignore!“

“We're about to go on a little adventure, and that adventure is going to cover the last 18 years of music,” Taylor said at the start of the show, before essentially setting the tone for the next three-plus hours. “Here's the thing — you're going to hear a lot of songs at this show. And these are songs I wrote about my life, my feelings, or something I made up in my imagination. And maybe that's what you think of when you hear these songs in the world. But that's all about to change tonight, isn't it, because after tonight, when you hear these songs, you'll think of us and the memories we made tonight on the Eras tour. I'll be your host tonight…my name is Taylor.”

“I was probably about 15 when I started touring,” Swift said midway through Red season of the show, before addressing her Canadian fans and Eras tour attendees in general. “The way it works, nobody is forcing me to keep adding shows to a tour. No one says, “You really should go see the fans in Canada.” First of all, I love you so much — there would never be a time when we didn't come to see you. And second, I'm having more fun on this tour than I've ever had on any tour in my life. And the reason for that is that you guys have turned it into something that is more than just a concert, at least for me.

“You have all these traditions that you started, you turned them into a full event, and the way the city of Toronto has embraced us and welcomed us, we notice it all. And it's so encouraging. It feels so good, and it feels so different from any experience I've ever had before. So honestly, thank you to anyone here tonight who was excited about the idea of ​​the Eras tour. Because you make it so much fun for us.” He then added, “And I have one more song I'd like to play you from Red album, if you have about 10 minutes…” I think you know what song played next.

“We brought it Folklore home to Canada!” Swift said the beginning of the era was split between her two breakout albums, Folklore and Forever.

“It doesn't look whole Folklore Does the era just belong to Canada?' she said to thunderous applause. “The place I envisioned in my mind where Folklore done, it's very natural, wilderness, beautiful, forests that have existed since the beginning of time. And it's like we're giving it back Folklore era where it belongs anyway.

“Folklore it was really a fantastic place to go in my mind,” he continued. “Because I started writing this album about two days after the pandemic, so I think we were all looking for our own escape methods. This was one of mine: every day I wrote and I wrote differently than before. Why before? FolkloreI had really written mostly from a very personal, autobiographical place. very “dear diary” kind of thing. And that will always be a fun way to write songs.

“But what I liked Folklore maybe I took more of a storyteller's perspective: I'm going to create characters, and those characters are going to fall in love and have their heart ripped out and go through all kinds of drama in their town, and it's not going to be about me. It will be about these characters. And in short,” he concluded, “Here's a story about a character named Betty…”

At this point – more than 125 shows into the tour – every fan knows to look forward to the surprise song section. “This is a tradition I started on the Eras tour in an effort to challenge myself to play as many songs from different albums, different eras,” he explained on stage, before introducing the first mashup he performed: “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Games ” / “This is why we can't have nice things.” The former song, except Department of Tormented Poetspresented with a nod to her recent Grammy nominations. “You guys have been doing something for the past few months, what you've been doing with the hug Department of Tormented Poets the album — it's really confused me. Because it's really emotional for me. This album — I wrote it during the Eras tour. I wrote this album, I made this album, trying to keep it a secret from you, and then I announced the album. And basically we were like working really hard to secretly make a new chapter of the Eras of the tour Department of Tormented Poetsand we wanted to surprise you with it. And you guys were so great digging this album and understanding where I was coming from with it. … Everything that happens is a direct reflection of the passion you show. And you got that album nominated for six Grammys. So thank you.”

She then took to the piano to break into her second surprise mashup – “False God” / “Tis the Damn Season”, a mashup of Lover and Forever songs, each a song about a love from the past. “This is a tradition I started on the Eras tour in an effort to challenge myself to play as many songs from different albums, different eras,” he said.

Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince
Tough summer
The Man
You need to calm down
Lover
Fearless
You Belong With Me
Love story
22
We Never Ever Get Back Together
I knew you were trouble
Very good (10 minute version)
Spellbound
…Ready for it?
Thin
Don't blame me ->
Look what you made me do
Cardigan
Betty
Champagne problems
August ->
Illegal Affairs
My Ricochet Tears
Marjorie
Willow
Style
Empty space
Shake it
The wildest dreams
Hatred
But I love dad
Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?
Down Bad ->
Fortnight
The smallest man who ever lived
I can do it with a broken heart
My boy only breaks his favorite toys / This is why we can't have nice things
False God / 'Tis the Damn Season
Lavender Haze
Anti-hero
Vigilant Shit
Bejeweled
Brain
Karma