Summary
- Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has been marred by controversies, including ticketing issues, overcrowding, and merchandise quality concerns.
- Fans have found creative ways to enjoy the concert experience, such as "Taylor-gating" in parking lots near venues.
- Taylor Swift's rumored romance with Matty Healy and his past inappropriate comments sparked backlash when she collaborated with Ice Spice on their song "Karma."
For more than a decade, Taylor Swift's music has captivated fans worldwide, transforming stadiums into grand stages for unforgettable concert experiences. Swift's concerts have become synonymous with showmanship and spectacle, from dazzling performances to jaw-dropping production value. Yet, beyond the glittering facade lies a hidden world of controversies and scandals, obscured from the prying eyes of her adoring fans.
From ticket sales to her rumored romance, the singer-songwriter remains positive about her performances. Still, some fans peel back the curtain just to uncover the truth about what truly transpired behind the scenes of Taylor Swift's headline-grabbing tours.
8 Taylor Swift's Issue With Ticketmaster During The Eras Tour Ticket Sales
In November 2022, Taylor Swift fans faced disappointment and anger as the pre-sale tickets for The Eras Tour became chaotic. The overwhelming demand overloaded the Ticketmaster website, leaving countless devoted fans without tickets. Ticketmaster eventually canceled sales to the public, citing high demand and insufficient ticket availability.
In response, fans filed lawsuits across the country, accusing Ticketmaster and Live Nation of unlawful conduct and anticompetitive practices, claiming exorbitant prices were imposed during the ticketing process. Ticketmaster issued an apology to Swift and her fans, promising to strengthen their technological infrastructure to meet the unprecedented demand generated by the tour.
7 A Taylor Swift Fan Shared Her Horrifying Experience Of Overcrowding At The Eras Tour
During a weather delay at Taylor Swift's Nashville concert, a Swiftie named Andrea shared her distressing experience on TikTok, comparing the crowded and unsafe conditions to the tragic incident at the Astroworld festival. "I literally thought it was going to be, like, another Travis Scott fatality. I've never been so scared for my life." Attendees at Nissan Stadium were instructed to seek shelter due to severe weather and lightning warnings.
In her video, she described the situation worsening over time, with concertgoers packed shoulder-to-shoulder, making it impossible to move. Chaos ensued when the concert resumed, leaving Andrea in tears and her partner at risk of being swept away. Concerned about lightning strikes and previous crowd incidents, Andrea chose to leave the venue for her safety.
6 Taylor Swift Fans Are Gathering In Parking Lots To Watch Her Concerts
Despite facing difficulties with Ticketmaster's ticketing process, Swifties have found a creative way to still be a part of her Eras Tour. They have started a growing trend called "Taylor-gating," where they gather in parking lots near the tour venues to enjoy the concert experience together.
According to TODAY, these Taylor-gate gatherings have become a vibrant and spirited alternative, with fans bringing snacks, drinks, and even air mattresses to make the most of the experience. Despite some venues restricting parking to ticket holders only, fans are determined and willing to walk or use ride-sharing services to be near the concert locations.
5 Taylor Swift Did Not Play Her Piano During One Of Her Surprise Songs At The Concert
After the first night of her rain-soaked show in Massachusetts, Taylor Swift faced an unexpected challenge during her show the following night. As Swift prepared to play one of her surprise songs for the Eras Tour, "Red (Taylor's Version)," on her flower-powered upright piano, the instrument began playing notes on its own, likely due to water damage from the previous night's rain.
A surprised Swift addressed the crowd and explained that the keyboard had been submerged in water the previous night. She decided to abandon her piano plans, opting instead to switch to the guitar for the performance.
4 Concertgoers At Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Break Into A Fight Among The Crowd
During Taylor Swift's three-day concert in Tampa, Florida, a controversial incident unfolded among some fans. Allegedly, a couple lit a joint, causing its odor to permeate the crowd of 80,000 people. Unfortunately, the individuals directly behind the couple happened to be mothers with their children, leading to a confrontation.
A TikTok video shared by one of the involved girls, shows the angry mothers throwing drinks at her and her boyfriend. The situation escalated throughout the night as the mothers continued drenching them with beers, eventually resulting in a physical altercation.
3 Keith Urban Accidentally Filmed Phoebe Bridgers And Bo Burnham Making Out During Taylor Swift's Concert
During one of Taylor Swift's shows in Philadelphia, Keith Urban unintentionally captured a moment of PDA between rumored couple Phoebe Bridgers and Bo Burnham while filming a TikTok video of himself dancing with his wife, Nicole Kidman.
Urban expressed remorse for inadvertently sharing their private moment, stating that he was unaware of their romance at the time.
2 Taylor Swift Is Facing Backlash Over Her Concert Merchandise
Taylor Swift fans attending the Eras Tour are voicing out their disappointment over the quality of tour merchandise. Many fans have waited in long lines to purchase hoodies or t-shirts, only to find that the prints on the clothing fade significantly after just one wash. Fans who are among those have expressed their dissatisfaction, highlighting the high prices they paid for the merchandise and the disappointment of seeing the prints deteriorate so quickly.
Some fans even created a Twitter thread to share the complaints and raise awareness among fellow Swifties. According to Vulture, Swift's team declined to comment on the matter, but they have acknowledged the fading issue and posted a statement on the online merch store, explaining that the faded look is intentional and part of the vintage aesthetic.
They also advised fans to follow the care instructions to maintain the product's appearance. While some fans have been informed that they can have their faded items replaced, others feel that more transparency should have been provided before the purchase, and they hope for a resolution or refund.
1 Taylor Swift’s Controversy Over Rumored Romance With Matty Healy and His Inappropriate Comments About Ice Spice
During her Eras Tour concert in New Jersey, Taylor Swift surprised her fans by bringing out Ice Spice to perform their collaboration of the revamped version of "Karma." The timing of the collaboration announcement raised eyebrows among fans, leading some to speculate if it was a strategic PR move by Swift. "...firstly, having ice spice on Karma is crazy when matty healy has literally made derogatory comments about her body and mocked Chinese & Hawaiian accents while discussing her ethnicity." one fan tweeted.
In February 2023, Matty Healy and the hosts of The Adam Friedland Show podcast made derogatory comments about Ice Spice and made inappropriate remarks about her ethnicity. In April, Healy publicly apologized to the rapper while on stage. The announcement of her collaboration sparked discussions among fans, with some questioning the decision in light of Healy's previous behavior and their rumored romance. Thankfully fans knew Swift and Healy were never going to last.
