The year 2024 just started, but some eager Swifties are already counting down to the commencement of the 3rd leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour which is scheduled to continue on the 7th of February.
Eras tour began on the 17th of March 2023 and has been a major success, landing Taylor Swift on the list of billionaires due to the huge revenue generated from ticket sales, customized merchandise sales, and other stuff.
But it is important to note that, as much revenue as the Eras Tour generates, so does it consume a lot of money to run. Despite being heavily criticized by netizens, who are not Swifties ;), Taylor Swift has managed to keep a complete overview of the expenses that the production of the Eras Tour cost, and is still costing.
A lot of people have tagged Taylor Swift as “A money monger” due to her monetizing every bit of the Eras Tour. It only makes sense if you make these claims while disregarding the possible cost of production for such a world-class tour as the Eras Tour.
For instance, taking “The Eras Tour Movie” as a case study, the budget according to the data on Forbes was $15 million. Other outlets reported it to be around $10 to $20 million. Even though the profit at the end of the day surpassed the budget by far, we can see that the budget itself was a staggering amount.
In this article, we will be looking at some major aspects of production that have made the Eras Tour one of the greatest still ongoing tours, and also, the possible cost of making each producing factor effective. Before then, don’t forget that there’s an alternative option where you can get the Eras Tour tickets, just in case you need them.
What is Tour Production all about?
Here’s a brief rundown of what tour production is all about. When we talk about tour production, we precisely mean the factors that are paramount in ensuring the success of a tour.
In the case of Taylor Swift and the Eras Tour, “The Taylor Swift Touring Company” is the one in charge of the production. Taylor Swift touring is an in-house tour production company, with Ethan Tobman being the production designer. They have been the organizers of the Eras Tour, and also the ones behind the scene ensuring we all have a good time, while at the Eras Tour concerts.
The Eras Tour has been described as the most expensive tour of the 21st century. The Wall Street Journal published that it is the most “Technically Ambitious” production of the century, while other outlets praised the tour’s worldbuilding capabilities.
Inarguably, the Eras Tour has made its mark in history, and to an extent, we also wondered how the production team did it. Well, that was until we dug deep to find that Taylor Swift Tour Production Company focused on 3 sections of the Eras Tour;
● Stage and Lightning
● Music and Performance
● Fashion
Stage and Lightning
Those who have been attending Taylor’s concerts for years now will admit that the Eras Tour has had major changes with the stage and lighting making sure the changes are noticeable.
Reflect on the moment when Taylor Swift swam on stage or the perfect timing of the confetti shots, and also the smoke that syncs with certain Taylor’s performances.
The lights during Taylor’s concert are also coordinated to make the experience intriguing. And we wouldn’t expect less, seeing that it was described as a “4D Cognitive Experience” by critics. While giving an in-depth description of the Stage and lighting set-up, the production team mentioned that the stage on which Taylor performs is made up of 3 sections.
The first stage is the main stage which contains a giant curved widescreen, the second and middle stage is described to be rhombic, while the third stage is rectangular and forms a T-shape along with the Ramp, on the middle of the floor.
Generally, the stage has mobile blocks that rise together to form different shapes of platforms during Taylor’s performance, because it is a hyperactive stage.
Now when you take your time to note down the expenses of equipment, like the lightning and mobile blocks setup, the confetti cannons, and also, the main stage’s giant curved widescreen which is probably a Jumbotron, estimated to cost not less than $3 million, you’ll begin to understand the cost of running the Eras Tour.
Music and Performance
Knowing fully well that all the effort put into the production of the Eras Tour would be wasted if the performer wasn’t well prepared, Taylor Swift decided to let go of the consumption of alcohol while preparing for the live show. But that’s not all the 34-year-old singer had to do amidst the production of the Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift, while running on a treadmill, sang 44 songs daily. This was to make her physically fit for the Eras Tour. Due to her tight rehearsal schedules, Travis Kelce who is now her lover wasn’t allowed to meet her, when she took the Eras Tour to the Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium, back in 2023. He was told she was saving her voice for the 44 songs she had to sing for her tour.
Taylor also had to rehearse with her choreography team for 3 months to produce the wonderful dance performance we see now in the Eras Tour concerts. There are also 4 backup singers, all female, 6 live band instrumentalists, and lastly, 15 dancers headed by Mandy Monroe, a popular American choreographer.
You can imagine the time and money put into these activities in preparation for the Eras Tour. And all these were set up for success by Taylor Swift Tour Production Company.
Fashion
One of the most important parts of the Eras Tour is the fashion. Without any doubt, the production team did a great job in that aspect, but what did it cost?
Although there are no mentioned amounts for how much each dress worn by Taylor cost, we checked the hard work and also the dedication of the fashion designers to creating a world-class piece of dress to match each of Taylor Swift’s era as she performs it and we decided that it costs a lot of money.
For instance, Fausto Puglisi, who designed Taylor’s “Fearless, Reputation, and 1989” outfit said, “He incorporated Swarovski crystals in the costumes Swift wore during the Fearless, 1989, and Reputation acts, which required over 170 hours of meticulous ‘hand-craftsmanship by skilled artisans’ to make.”
Surely, 170 hours sounds too long innit? But the outfit Taylor Swift wore during the “Speak Now” era took more than 350 hours to make. Now, an advanced fashion designer is said to charge $80 per hour. Doing the math that means Fausto Puglisi charged $13,600 just to incorporate Swarovski crystals on Taylor’s dress.
Considering this information will make you wonder how long it took the designing team to get the whole outfit right, and if they got it right at the first trial since designing can be a bit complicated to an extent, even for the professionals, and lastly, how much designing the complete outfit cost.
The production team released a list of designers that they worked with to make the fashion of the Eras Tour one of the most talked about in the history of touring. Oscar De La Renta, Roberto Cavalli, and Zuhair Murad alongside Atelier Versace and Alberta Ferretti are all part of the designers who made the dresses for each of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour acts.
