My three nights with Taylor Swift cost me €47 per hour. Cheaper than therapy – The Irish Times

I did the math. Last weekend I paid just under €47 an hour to see Taylor Swift perform at the Aviva Stadium for three nights. My last therapist was €120 an hour and although she is a highly qualified and very helpful person in my life, she didn’t have Stevie Nicks and Julia Roberts in the room with us. Taylor delivered Stevie and Julia and so much more for just €47 an hour. A bargain.

The entire Eras Tour experience was truly priceless. Concerts like this are anticipated in ways that were unimaginable before social media. Swift’s show has been streamed online and used as memes like crazy since her first performance in Arizona in March 2023. She and artists like Harry Styles and Beyoncé have taken advantage of the free advertising machines of TikTok and Instagram. The Eras Tour was already legendary before it even reached Ireland. What colors would it wear? Would any celebrities appear in the now-famous white tents to the left and right of the front row? What surprise songs would it play?

( Taylor Swift in Aviva review: “You know it, but nobody does it like you, Dublin” )

The surprise songs are where the bang for the buck really came into play for me. About three-quarters of the set features Taylor playing three or four songs acoustically, songs not on her main setlist that she’s chosen from some point in her career. Most fans have their own favorites that they’d like to hear. My number one was You’re on Your Own, Kid, a beautiful song that includes the now iconic line “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it,” which inspired the worldwide phenomenon of bracelet making and swapping at Eras tour shows – and in turn led to a surge in sales of bead and jewelry making kits. The song appeals to me for many reasons, but my expectations were low, as she’s already played parts of YOYOK (as it’s affectionately known) throughout her tour.

I don’t even know when I started crying when Taylor effortlessly moved into the last part of YOYOK during her acoustic guitar set on night one in Dublin. My dear friend Louise recorded a video of me gasping, “She played my song,” as if Taylor herself knew I needed to hear it. This woman was on stage, making £47 an hour! Rumors circulated that Swift performed the song because Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks was somewhere in the stadium. Nicks has previously thanked Swift for writing YOYOK, saying it helped her get over the grief of losing her friend and Fleetwood Mac colleague Christine McVie. I was happy for Stevie, but I was also thrilled for myself. Who knew a song could have such healing powers. I felt like the luckiest Swiftie in the world.

Fast forward to night three. Yes, I attended all three nights (the total ticket price was €492, in case anyone is wondering). Yes, I felt guilty about it, but not so bad that I gave up my precious tickets. For me, it was like a season ticket. They have those in sports. Why not for concerts? After two nights of seated tickets, I was looking forward to standing and gaining a new perspective, although I firmly believe there are no bad seats on the Eras tour. My expectations of surprise songs and celebrity sightings were limited. I had already drunk YOYOK on night one, and my body was ready to handle another 3½ hours of healing music, joy and sing-alongs. Then imagine the serotonin rush when Swift’s giant boyfriend, American footballer Travis Kelce, scampered past me mid-show and headed for the white tent. The pair play out a romance that would fit right in a ’90s Hugh Grant romantic comedy. Watching him surprise Taylor and an entire stadium full of people was a contact rush like I’ve never experienced. (Speaking of Hugh Grant romantic comedies, Julia Roberts was in the white tent, exchanging bracelets and shaking it off like her life depended on it.)

( Nowadays people talk at concerts. My advice is to move to a more respectful part of the crowd. )

All expectations were exceeded, and I settled in for the rest of the show. Then came the acoustic surprise part. And then my jaw dropped when Taylor Swift revealed that Stevie Nicks was not only definitely in the audience, but that Swift would also serenade her by playing the song Clara Bow for the very first time. Excuse me? We’re renaming cognitive behavioral therapy Clara Bow Therapy because Taylor Swift was there last Sunday night and saved lives. And what did she do then? She sat down at her piano and played You’re on Your Own, Kid in full, for Stevie Nicks and for me. 492 euros for 10½ hours of pure joy. Money well spent.