Announcements:
Speak Now:
Swift really made Swifties remember moments in the back of our minds when she announced “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” was annnounced on May 5, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn., with Swift saying, “I’ve been planning something for a while, It’s my love language with you. I plot. I scheme. I plan. And then I get to tell you about it.” Then, the announcement started flashing on the main screen, and her saying, “I think, rather than me speaking about it … I’d rather just show you.”
This was a major point in the tour. Oo July 7, 2023, the album released with the “I Can See You” music video premiere during the acoustic set, so that way the Swifties in attendance would get to see it first. With this, she also brought out her co-stars from the video including Taylor Lautner, who backflipped down the catwalk, and Joey King and Presley Cash to join her on stage.
1989:
For the “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” announcement, fans were speculating for a while, especially now that they knew announcements during the tour were on the table. There had been glimpses of the “1989” blue, with blue outfits and more. Swift decided to do the announcement on the final night in L.A., saying, “Here we are on the last night of the U.S. leg of the Eras tour in the eighth month of the year on the ninth day. You might have noticed there are some new outfits in the show. There’s something that I’ve been planning for a really, really, really ridiculously, embarrassingly long time, and instead of telling you about it, I think I’ll just sort of show you,” with “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” shining across the screen and Swift going straight into performing “New Romantics.”
With “The Tortured Poets Department,” while it was not necessarily a special announcement, Swift wrote the album during the tour and announced its release when she won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album for “Midnights” on Feb. 4, 2024. The album was set to release on April 19, 2024, and many easter eggs surrounded this album. The album was released during a break in the tour, and when the tour returned, the choreography and the setlist changed to now include “TTPD.”
Now, let us look back at all the special guests who took the stage with Swift during this tour, in no particular order.
On July 1, 2023, Gracie Abrams sang “I miss you I’m sorry” with Swift during the acoustic set, and on June 23, 2024 and Nov. 16, 2024, Abrams sung “us.” On June 23, 2024, Travis Kelce took the stage for a comedic bit before the “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” performance. On June 3, 2023, Maren Morris sang “You All Over Me” during the acoustic set, marking it the first time the two have performed the song live together. During the “evermore” set on July 22, 2023, July 28, 2023, and August 9, 2023, Swift swapped “Tis the Damn Season” for “No body, No Crime” to perform the song with HAIM, with this being the first time they opened for the tour. Then on the July 28, they went all out, dressing up in the same dresses from the “Bejeweled” music video (except Swift). On May 5, 2023, Swift performed “Nothing New” with Phoebe Bridgers. On June 22, 2024, Hayley Williams performed “Castles Crumbling” from “Speak Now,” as she is featured on that song. On Feb. 23, 2024 and Oct. 26, 2024, Sabrina Carpenter preformed a mashup of “White Horse” from “Fearless” and Coney Island from “Evermore” on Feb. 23, and then on the Oct. 26, they performed “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” form Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” album. On April 14, 2023, and May 7, 2023, Aaron Dessner performed “The Great War” from “Midnights” on April 14, and then on May 7, performed “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” from the “Midnights” album. The two even performed another two times on June 17, 2023, preforming “seven” from “Folklore,” and on July 1, 2023 performing “Ivy” from “Evermore.” On May 27, 2023, Ice Spice performed her “Karma” remix with Swift from the “Midnights” album. On March 25, 2023, Marcus Mumford performed “Cowboy Like Me” from “Evermore.”
**This is one of a six story series
