The Eras Tour: A Casual Fan Left Thoroughly Enchanted

Yes, I was one of the lucky ones to survive “The Great War” last year for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in Singapore. No I did not queue with multiple email accounts – it was pure luck (sorry Swifties) that I received the coveted access code, and snagged four Cat 1 tickets for the second night (4 Mar 2024) for my girlfriend, her friends and myself. After all, I’m at best a casual fan – as evident from me knowing around slightly three quarters of the setlist and never having gone for any of her previous stops in our Little Red Dot. I was simply there for the ✨ vibes ✨

However, after experiencing Taytay’s concert for myself, I have to say it was simply quite phenomenal: the elaborate sets for her songs, her superhuman stamina (singing more than 40 songs), the crowd singing along to every one of her songs, and her stage presence left me seriously impressed.

So here’s my no-frills review of the entire concert experience and how to make the most of your time there.

Pre-concert

Don’t be a sua ku and not read National Stadium's official Event Guide before the day of the concert. Some of the most common items I saw not being allowed in were bags with chains or more than two compartments, umbrellas (even collapsible ones), and metal water bottles.

You can only bring plastic bottles in, but the queues for water coolers inside moved slower than a peak hour jam across the Causeway. I suggest forking out $3 for a 500ml carton of water sold inside.

If possible, go without a bag because you can skip the long queue for the bag check. Otherwise, you’ll have to join the snaking queue (my friend waited an hour) for bag deposits where it costs $10 and they only accepted cash.

Eat a big meal before the concert as prices for food inside (covered below) are exorbitant and will leave a big hole in your wallet.

The gates opened at 4pm; I arrived at 4.30pm at Stadium MRT, went through the bag check, and was seated by 5.15pm. A super smooth pre-concert journey for me, and a big kudos to all the concert staff present!

Inside National Stadium

There was a wide variety of food options available inside, including Canadian Pizza, hot dogs, lobster rolls, and more. The food stalls depend on which section you’re located in, so you may have to walk quite a bit if you want specific items.

Apart from the walking and queuing, be prepared to splash some serious cash (I feel it was daylight robbery). It was $17 for two slices of pizza and $4.50 for a drink. Even my cai fan (mixed rice) add fish less than $10 leh. But, that’s the ballpark for food and drink prices at venues like the National Stadium, so now you know!

Concert time

Do your small or big business before the start of Taylor’s set at 7pm. There will be no time at all for you to rush to the toilet between her songs or sets. Not to mention having to apologetically brush past everyone to exit your row.

Bring earplugs. If you wish to go home without a headache and tinnitus in your ears, then pack a pair of earplugs. The speakers were working overtime because it was really so bloody loud. I was on the floor area, and my Apple watch sent me a “Loud” notification with a warning of over 90 decibels (that’s like the volume of a hair dryer) a minute into the concert. Don’t get me wrong, the concert was amazing, but imagine your poor ears suffering through over three hours of prolonged exposure to that kind of volume.

Comfy shoes. Chances are, you’re going to be standing most of the time to dance and sing along. Wear a pair of cushioned shoes because trust me, your feet will thank you later.

A mini portable fan or if you’re atas, those wearable neck fans. For Swifties flying in from non-Southeast Asian countries, the humidity in Singapore is next level, so a fan will help a lot in making sure you stay cool while enjoying.

And ICYDK, Taylor Swift usually performs a couple of secret songs between “Bad Blood” and “Lavender Haze”. If you die die need to leave between songs, you can check out the setlist here so you know when’s an ideal time to go.

Most importantly, just enjoy – soak in the feels or just vibe with the people around you. Everyone’s there to have a good time!

Post-concert

Big shoutout to the concert and SMRT staff. They were super helpful in coordinating human traffic, and there were clear signs to direct people. If you don’t mind walking a bit more, you can head to other nearby MRT stations (like Kallang or Mountbatten) since most of the crowd will be heading to Stadium.

For other useful general tips about heading to concerts at the National Stadium, check out our piece on it.

An honest review

IMAGE: ARETHA REYHAN ARYONO

Given how it's the Eras Tour, and we get to see and hear different songs from all her different eras, I would say it's perfect for anyone (Swifties and normal concertgoers alike). Even if you are not familiar with her more recent songs (like me), it was nostalgic to hear songs I grew up listening to, like "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "You Belong With Me".

While I did not lose my voice after the concert, unlike the diehard Swifties around me belting out lyrics to all the songs for three hours, even a casual fan like me was left with some post-concert depression because of how mesmerising everything was.

And I started checking out songs I wasn't familiar with during the concert on the next day and reading up on the meanings behind her lyrics. Am I a Swiftie in the making 🤔?

So, was it worth splashing $358 (including the booking fee) for that night? Even I have to (just) say, yes.

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