Additional Coverage:
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour: Beyond the Billion-Dollar Smile, a Glimpse into the Star’s Vulnerabilities and Generosity
The Eras Tour, a monumental “you had to be there” pop culture phenomenon, etched its name in history as the first concert tour to surpass $1 billion in gross revenue, shattering attendance records and injecting significant economic boosts into local economies. However, a new Disney+ docuseries, “The End of an Era,” reveals that for Taylor Swift, the journey was not solely a celebratory one.
The first two episodes of the highly anticipated series, which premiered on December 12th, offer an intimate look into the triumphs and tribulations of Swift’s unprecedented fame. In a poignant moment from the initial episode, the 35-year-old artist visibly breaks down while recalling a thwarted terrorist plot that targeted one of her scheduled Eras Tour concerts in Austria.
The 14-time Grammy winner expressed feeling as though she was “skating on thin ice” amidst “very violent, scary things happening to the tour.” This included the aforementioned terrorist plot, which ultimately led to the cancellation of all her Vienna tour dates last August by her team and local concert promoters.
The second episode of the series shifts its focus to Swift’s extraordinary generosity, showcasing the massive bonuses she distributed to her dedicated Eras Tour crew. Viewers witness the “Fate of Ophelia” hitmaker preparing for “bonus day” alongside her mother, Andrea Swift.
How Much Did Taylor Swift Pay Her Crew Members During the Eras Tour?
Swift’s meticulous attention to detail is evident as she displays a collection of individually bagged, handwritten letters for each team member, expressing her gratitude for their contributions to the tour. The reactions of her dancers upon opening their letters are captured, revealing their sheer astonishment. In another clip, a member of the production team is seen expressing that he feels as though he might “pass out” from the magnitude of the bonus he received.
According to reports from PEOPLE, Swift distributed an astounding $197 million in bonuses to every individual involved in her tour. This included a vast array of personnel, from truck drivers, caterers, and instrument technicians to merch teams, lighting and sound crews, production staff, assistants, carpenters, dancers, band members, security personnel, choreographers, pyrotechnics experts, riggers, hair and makeup artists, wardrobe assistants, physical therapists, and the video team.
“Bonus day is so important because setting a precedent with The Eras Tour is really important to me,” Swift stated. “Because people who work on the road, if the tour grosses more, they get more of a bonus, and these people just work so hard and they are the best at what they do.
So, every single person on the crew, I’ve handwritten them a note. It took me a couple weeks, but it’s fun to write the notes.”
A photo of one of these bonus notes, posted by pop culture account Pop Base in January, revealed that a single crew member received an additional $100,000 from the pop star.
The first two episodes of “The End of an Era” are currently available for streaming on Disney+.
How Long Was Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour?
The Eras Tour spanned from March 2023 to December 2024, encompassing 149 shows across the globe. Taylor Swift Touring, Swift’s production company, confirmed to The New York Times that ticket sales exceeded $2 billion, effectively doubling the gross sales of any other concert tour in history.
Cities that hosted the tour’s venues frequently experienced significant boosts in their local economies. Notably, one U.S. town, Glendale, Arizona, temporarily rebranded itself as “Swift City, ERAzona” to commemorate the occasion.