5 Highlights From Taylor Swift’s First of Three Sold-Out Shows in Buenos Aires
When Taylor Swift announced in June that she would be performing in Argentina for the first time ever as part of her Eras Tour, tickets to her three shows sold out within hours. Excitement has only grown since then, and finally, on Thursday, Nov. 9, the wait came to an end as 70,000 sang along during her first show, where she performed nearly 45 songs spanning her entire career.
The show, the first of three at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental (also known as Estadio River) and produced by DF Entertainment (the company owned by promoter Diego Finkelstein), featured Argentine artist Louta and Sabrina Carpenter as opening acts. It began precisely at 8:42 p.m., when Swift appeared on an elevated stage singing “Cruel Summer,” after “Miss Americana” played during the intro. Following the opening performance, she shouted, “Buenos Aires, bienvenidos a The Eras Tour!”
Here are some highlights of the night.
Six Months Camping
Thousands of fans waited impatiently for 3 p.m., the exact time when security was scheduled to open the gates to allow access to the field, the closest location to the main stage. Some Swifties camped outside the stadium for six months to be close to the front of the field, and the minute the gates opened, they sprinted the 100 meters to get the best standing room in the house.
Taylor Gets on Stage
Finally. Swift sets foot on the stage of Estadio Monumental singing “Cruel Summer.” The audience screams, and Taylor speaks to her happiness at being in Argentina for the first time. “Buenos Aires, bienvenidos to The Eras tour!” she shouted. “I am so very lucky because they very first time I decided to visit Argentina, you decided to sell out three shows […] They way you are dancing, the way you are singing, this is on another level.”
The Nerves of the Moment
Swift kicked off the fourth block of the show with “Champagne Problems,” a track she’s performed hundreds of times before. However, when time came to play it at the Monumental, the superstar lost her place at the piano. Far from making it a negative, she found humor in the situation. “This is what Argentines do,” she quipped.
Two-Minute Ovation
Weeks before, Swift’s fandom, via social media, had agreed to do different actions during her show, including lifting posters in certain songs, or reflecting the Argentine flag with their cellphones. Another planned moment was a two-minute ovation to thank Swift for performing in their country. At that point, Swift took out her in-ears and said, “I can’t believe it.”
Emotion Til the Very End
The show is a roller coaster of emotions. For example, Swift gave her hat to a little girl during “22,” and at one point, she stopped the show completely to listen to the crowd roar. But the end of the show will be memorable to all Argentine Swifties. Screams, applause, wristbands high and our country’s message to Taylor: “Argentina loves you. Come back soon.”
Leila Cobo
Billboard
