
It’s this simple; there’s never been anything like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
The multi-hyphenate star’s sixth headlining tour, and first in five years, has prompted unprecedented, market-paralyzing demand for tickets and souvenirs. By any measure it’s the hottest show on the road, ever; you have to go back to Michael Jackson and his brothers’ Victory Tour in 1984 for a similar stadium-level phenomenon, but the impact and constancy of social media puts Eras on an entirely different level.
The spectacle comes to Detroit this weekend, with concerts at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 9-10, at Ford Field, featuring Girl in Red opening both nights, Gracie Abrams on Friday and Owenn on Saturday.
Here’s what everybody’s talking about as we buckle in for the Eras ride:

• Want Tickets?: Don’t abandon hope entirely, but don’t expect miracles, either. Demand was so high when tickets went on sale in November that it broke the Ticketmaster system and put the company in court and in front of the U.S. Congress over the cluster fans experienced. Even during the week of shows secondary sellers are asking, and getting, four-figure prices.
• It’s Long — and Comprehensive: Swift’s shows have been weighing in at around three hours and 15 minutes, give or take, with 44 songs per night. It’s divided into 10 sections, each dedicated to a specific studio album — save for her 2006 debut but including last year’s “Midnights,” which just returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 thanks to a new deluxe edition. Visuals are tailored for each “act,” performed on multiple stages whose design has even been praised by Architectural Digest. Lasers, pyrotechnics, projection mapping, interactive LED bracelets and costume changes are all part of the experience.
• Expect Surprises: Each show’s ninth act features a two-song acoustic set for “surprise songs” from Swift’s catalog that aren’t part of the standard show. She’s also used the occasion to welcome guests such as Marcus Mumford, Maren Morris, Pheobe Bridgers, Ice Spice and studio collaborators Jack Antonoff of Fun. and Aaron Dressner of the National. If you want to speculate; Swift just announced this week that Paramore’s Hayley Williams appears on the upcoming “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” re-release of her 2010 album, and Paramore, which played at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, June 7, has a night off Friday before a concert in Columbus. Just sayin’…
• Mega Merch: Demand for souvenirs has kept par with the tour’s massive scale — a reported more than $40 per person average. To help alleviate the long (gross understatement) lines, Swift merchandise will go on sale a day early — from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 8 at Ford Field’s Gate B. They’ll also be on sale starting at noon the day of each show.
• Swift-gating: Among the tour’s other phenomena, large numbers of fans without tickets have gathered in public areas outside the venues to listen and share the experience. It may be different in Detroit, however, as Ford Field’s dome will keep the sound of the shows inside the building.
• Come Early: Friday’s show in particular will be held alongside a Detroit Tigers home game next door at Comerica Park and events at other nearby venues. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., with music starting at 6:30.
• She Does Give Back: Swift, who makes habit of helping fans in financial distress (Including $13,000 to Shelbie Selewski of Harrison Township last December) or having health problems. For the Eras Tour she’s made donations to local food banks in each city.
For more information, 313-262-2008 or fordfield.com.
Local organization offering support for older LGBTQ+ metro Detroiters
Macomb Twp. mother’s frantic cries to Sheriff’s Office: ‘Please, come help me’
Mt. Pleasant schools to provide free breakfast, lunch throughout summer break
Hot weather may result in more dead fish in Michigan lakes, streams
Brownstown field fire comes dangerously close to homes in Oakwood Estates
Speeding vehicle crossing railroad tracks launched into Wyandotte house
Macomb County judge chokes up at emotional double-murder sentencing