Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Kicks Off Its European Leg in Paris: Photos From the Opening Show
All eyes were on Taylor Swift on May 9 as she kicked off the European leg of her Eras Tour with the first of four concerts in Paris, marking her first show back after the release of the Billboard 200-topping, record-breaking The Tortured Poets Department.
Not only did the pop star debut seven fresh numbers from the new album (see a full setlist), but she also made multiple changes to her original Eras set. A few fan-favorite songs were cut (sorry, “The Archer,” “Long Live” and “Tolerate It”), while parts of the show were restructured in order to make room for the new material. The sacrifices proved to be worth it, however, when Swift stunned the audience at La Defense Arena with brand new costumes, choreography, visuals and special effects, including an alien abduction and a clever trick that made the star appear to levitate across the stage.
The trek’s nightly high points, however, remained in place. Fans still got to scream along to the full 10-minute version of “All Too Well” during the Red era, hold their phone flashlights up for “Marjorie” in the Evermore set and scream the traditional “1, 2, 3, let’s go b—h” chant during Reputation’s “Delicate.” The surprise song section also remained fully intact as Swift gave Midnights’ “Paris” and TTPD’s “LOML” their live debuts.
“This has been an unforgettable night in Paris!” Swift gushed to the crowd before closing out as usual with “Karma.” “Thank you so much!”
Check out photos from Swift’s Eras Tour European kickoff show in Paris below.
Michael Calcagno
Billboard
