Roxy Kalantari via Canva.com

The Eras Tour movie was a hit as soon as it hit the screens of movie theaters across the nation. This was seen as an easier and more affordable alternative than getting tickets to the actual show. “If you can’t get tickets to the actual concert, the movie is a better [and] less expensive version of the concert so I would recommend it,” Danika Thakkar (10) said.

On Saturday, October 13, the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie was released, sending shock waves of excitement throughout the nation and world.

Fan or not, almost everyone has heard of the pop sensation Taylor Swift, who rapidly rose to fame starting with her self-titled debut album released October 24, 2006. Now, 17 years and 10 albums later, Swift decided to create The Eras Tour, featuring some of her most popular songs throughout the ten eras of her career, hence the name. This tour involves 146 shows across 19 states, lasting until November 2024. However, it didn’t just end there; Swift announced on August 31 that there was going to be a Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie released on October 13, giving those who watched the concert a chance to watch it again, and to those who didn’t, a chance to watch the movie in theaters with friends for a more affordable price and intimate experience. 

But with these two options, a big question was raised: which experience was better or was it pretty much the same? 

The Taylor Swift Eras tour concert was a massive hit as it was most people’s first time seeing the show. It was a very surreal experience through her song variety and merchandise options. 

“It was amazing. I wanted to scream,” Camille Verzosa (10) said. “I felt so much joy, but I couldn’t express it.”

Like many other concerts, the Eras Tour concert was jam packed with fans screaming out every lyric of Taylor Swift’s many songs, making it a very energetic and fun night. The movie on the other hand, was more intimate and much more affordable for people that weren’t able to get tickets, not to mention the cheaper limited edition merchandise that was only available in theaters. 

“Well, I was able to go with my friends… [and] it was much more intimate I would say,” Taylor Swift fan Kayla Huizar (10) said. “I really liked that we were able to purchase popcorn buckets and stuff like that; that was a nice touch.”

Since the movie was so popular, most people got dressed up like they were at the actual concert, standing up and singing their hearts out with the company of their friends. For everyone, that wasn’t the case as some theaters were silent watching it like it was a normal movie, making some people not feel welcome to sing and dance like they originally wanted to. 

“I expected a lot of people to be singing and dancing in my theater,” Danika Thakkar (10) said. “They allowed it, but nobody was standing up… I wish people would have sang and danced because it would have felt like I was able to [as well]. I really felt restricted.” 

Music is a spectacular thing that unites people especially when there is something in common between fans and their favorite music stars. It is obvious that in the movie, people were able to bond more than ever before as they recognized the amazing attention to detail and all of the work that was put into making the crowd happy. However, the actual concert gave concert-goers intricate details, dazzling choreography, and high quality merchandise that made the experience unforgettable and largely different from the movie. 

“Watching the movie made me see all the minor details that she added, so I like seeing all the attention to detail,” Huizar said.