Eras Tour: Taylor Swift lit up Zurich during her concert

To find Taylor Swift, just follow the glitter. At least that was the case on July 9, 2024 in the streets of Zurich, a sacred day for the thousands of Swifties in dazzling outfits who flooded into the German-speaking city, since they would finally be able to see their idol. The 34-year-old American superstar indeed performed for the very first time in Switzerland, at the Letzigrund stadium, Tuesday July 9, 2024, then Wednesday July 10. Two exceptional, sold-out concerts in front of nearly 50,000 fans for the 113th and 114th dates of The Eras Tour, his world tour – and that of the decade, they say. Femina was there, we tell you.

Paramore provided the opening act

The heat was overwhelming when we arrived around 5 p.m. The roads around the stadium are cordoned off by police teams alert for anti-terrorist paraphernalia. Many Swifties are already inside the enclosure, with makeup, hair and smiles on their faces. Some started lining up at 6 a.m. to be among the first spectators and reach the barricades in front of the stage to admire the singer up close. Half-hidden under cooling blankets distributed by the staff, Taylor Swift fans dressed in their finest attire to attend the evening’s show: cowboy boots, cowboy hat, tour t-shirt, sequined dress , sequins, rhinestones, pastel shades and unmissable rows of “friendship bracelets” make the stands and the pit sparkle.

At 5:45 p.m., the American rock group Paramore, led by singer Hayley Williams, begins to sing a few songs intended to heat up the already sweaty stadium. Unfamiliar with their repertoire, we chose this moment to taste penne with tomato sauce (we are not here for the gastronomy), in order to satisfy our stomach which quickly settled on Swiss-German time. This is because the concert must last 3 hours 15 minutes.

A show of more than forty songs

The blazing sun never seems to want to set when the clock strikes 7 p.m. After a few minutes of waiting, the countdown begins: 3, 2, 1… gigantic lilac petals enter the stage. Suddenly, the fabric flowers lift up and reveal Taylor Swift in her Atelier Versace bodysuit. “Grüezi!”, she shouts joyfully towards the screams. The setlist begins with Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Princefollowed by the tube Cruel Summer. Then the settings are transformed and the singer becomes a businesswoman under the notes of The Man.

And so on. Without any break, except to regularly change costumes (a Roberto Cavalli jumpsuit for the album Reputationan ensemble from the same house for 1989, a Vivienne Westwood text dress for The Tortured Poets Departmentan Alberta Ferretti maxi dress for Folklore or a Zuhair Murad bodysuit for Midnights), the star performs around forty titles dancing, playing and singing without wavering for a second. What endurance! Only a few strands of his bangs stuck to his forehead at nightfall bear witness to his athletic performance. Almost all of his eleven studio albums are spent there: 18 years of musical career, Fearless (2008) to its most recent release The Tortured Poets Department (2024). The pop “eras” follow one another… and are a bit similar, but the fervor of the public is very present.

And what fervor! While the superstar’s dance hits resonate to the delight of the cheering crowd – Love Story, 22, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Knew You Were Trouble, Look What You Made Me Do, Style, Shake It Off, Bad Blood – many Swifties of all ages, including thirty-something Americans right in front of us, don’t miss a word of the song. While Taylor Swift sings her ballads on the piano or guitar, tears roll down the glittery cheeks of a group of German-speaking twenty-somethings a little further away.

A perfectly honed American performance

The performance is simply perfect. No missteps, no false notes. Taylor performs, as does the troupe of around fifteen dancers with imperturbable smiles and the few musicians who are not very prominent on stage. The show is so precise that no surprises come to titillate the audience. Moreover, the popstar rarely speaks to her fans. Even the touching moment where she offers her hat and hugs a little girl in the front row seems rehearsed.

The scenography, very uneven, is the most disappointing aspect: the house-shaped sets are without much interest – apart from the cute little fairytale cabin in front of which the star presents the titles of his albums Folklore et Evermorereleased within a few months of each other during the pandemic. The ego trip video effects are sometimes very beautiful, sometimes completely kitsch, in a 2010 style. Fortunately, the choreographies of the dance troupe sublimate Taylor Swift’s impressive vocal performance with poetry.

Verdict? The show is spectacular, exhilarating – historic! – and we don’t see the time passing in this benevolent and ecstatic atmosphere. Even if we don’t feel quite Swiftie deep down, we have the feeling of being part of this huge, predominantly female family. We are even surprised to know almost two thirds of the songs, thank you radio stations! At the end of the concert, after a grandiose finale full of glitter, light effects and colorful fireworks, we take the train back into the Zurich night, our heads still full of the catchy choruses that will follow us for a long time.

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Laurène Ischi is a journalist within the digital team at Tamedia. After a bachelor’s degree in literature in Lausanne, she obtained her master’s degree at the Academy of Journalism and Media of the University of Neuchâtel in 2021. She is passionate about social issues and worked for “Femina” for 4 years.More info

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