On March 17, Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ debuted in Glendale, Arizona. The 3-hour-long show blew fans away, dominating headlines the following morning and for the remainder of the tour. According to CNN, what is being called the “tour of the decade” is certainly living up to its name, having broken numerous records relating to ticket sales, sold out shows, and even causing a 2.3-magnitude earthquake in Seattle.
Swift’s fame has evidently spiked in recent years, though her career has had a steep upward trajectory since her first pop album, 1989. The Eras Tour has perpetuated this fame and amplified it: news outlets have continuously covered the tour in its entirety and fans have raved about the tour, as well. Through this obsession, a sort of ritual was born pertaining to fans attending the concert.
It has become the expectation to dress in elaborate hand-made costumes, glittery replicas and thematic outfits when attending the concert. In addition, each attendee brings friendship bracelets to share with those seated around them.
It is evident that The Eras Tour has fostered an intensely dedicated and connected community of fans who have been able to connect with one another over Swift’s music and the overall experience of attending the tour. However, this tour might also come with a cost: fans and the media alike are simply ignoring the costs and ethics of such an extensive tour.
Fans’ overconsumption, encouraged by social media, is undoubtedly a leading force in the promotion and fame of The Eras Tour. Fans are expected to purchase a new outfit or costume for the concert just to wear for a night. In addition, these costumes are typically polyester and covered in sequins. Overconsumption alone is troubling, but coupled with fast fashion promotion and unethical materials, the consumption related to The Eras Tour is a whole other level of problematic.
Katherine Warner-Frey, a fan who attended the concert, recalled the outfit that she bought for her tour night: “I did purchase things that I probably won’t rewear. I purchased a pink glitter skirt and a top with a big heart on it. They were definitely on the cheaper side.” Cheap materials are typically made of polyester, a material made of plastic fibers. Glitter and sequins are also a form of micro-plastics, so the consumption associated with The Eras Tour is both excessive and damaging to the environment.
Costumes are not the only forms of consumption related to the tour. Some fans have gone so far as to fly across the country to see Swift’s performance, resulting in more consumption of flights, hotels and other travel expenses. While the tour has boosted the economies of the cities it visits, the environmental costs cannot be ignored.
Senior Brie Howell remarked on her observations from her concert over the summer. “Walking out of the arena, the ground was covered in garbage, pieces of costumes and sequins,” she recalled. “There were so many people there, and I can imagine that a lot of them came in from out of town, so there are travel emissions associated with that as well.”
Furthermore, the external waste produced by the tour and the actual output required to move the set from city to city each week is environmentally costly. Around 90 semi-trucks – all running on diesel gas – are used to transport the entire set each week. The emissions associated with the transportation of the set are therefore excessive and problematic. The carbon footprint of the tour is undoubtedly large. However, this is not the first time Swift has been accused of having a larger-than-average carbon footprint.
Swift is known for many things: her immense fame, her dedicated fan base and – unfortunately – her carbon footprint. With her emissions being 1,928 times the average person’s emissions, Forbes revealed that Swift had the largest footprint of any celebrity. In fact, during the U.S. leg of The Eras Tour, Swift flew back to New York City between each show instead of living on the road like other performers often do. The emissions associated with the tour alone are largely due to her flight habits.
It is undeniable that The Eras Tour will go down in history as one of the most extraordinary tours of the decade; the sense of community among fans inspired by the tour is unlike any before. However, it is necessary to evaluate the tour’s environmental costs as well as its fame. Artists must maintain ethical priorities, even on tour, and The Eras Tour exemplifies the environmental costs that come with overlooking these priorities.
