The show is approximately three hours and 15 minutes long, the longest of Taylor’s career, and heavily features elements of theater. It consists of 44 songs that are divided into 10 acts. Each act is characterized by a specific color scheme, while transitions between acts are facilitated by on-screen interlude visuals and marked by costume changes with negligible intermissions. Taylor also addresses the crowd several times throughout the show. An Eras Tour show encompasses the following acts:
Taylor, wearing a frock over her dress from the preceding act, performs one “surprise song” on guitar and another on piano. In a “particularly remarkable” optical illusion, a body of water develops around the piano and envelops the stage; Taylor then dives into the stage and appears to swim underwater, along the ramp and the main stage.
The tour received rave reviews from music and entertainment critics. Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph, Keiran Southern of The Times, Adrian Horton of The Guardian, Kelsey Barnes of The Independent, and Ilana Kaplan of i gave “The Eras Tour” total five-star ratings. McCormick called the show “one of the most ambitious, spectacular, and charming stadium pop shows ever seen”, lauding Taylor’s musicianship, vocals, and energy. Southern declared Taylor “a pop genius at the top of her game”. Horton praised the “rapturous” music selection, concept, “extravagant” staging, and Taylor’s stamina and vocals. Barnes noted the tour as “a career-defining spectacle” with acts marking the shifts in Taylor’s artistry, while Kaplan commended the “unparalleled” showmanship, “spicier” choreography, camp styles, and “seamless” transitions between acts.
The versatility of the show’s music, visuals, and performance art was often a subject of praise in the reviews. Journalists Rebecca Lewis and Carson Mlnarik of Hello! and MTV, respectively, commended Taylor’s stage presence and commitment to her artistry; Lewis described her alter ego during the tour as “country ingenue to pop princess and folklore witch”, whereas Mlnarik affirmed that the on-screen visuals stayed true to every album’s aesthetic. The Week and Dallas Observer critics agreed, highlighting the “jaw-dropping” visuals and “bedazzled” fashion. Billboard editor Jason Lipshutz underscored Taylor’s “powerhouse” vocals, engaging artistic personas, and skill set. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times highlighted the tour’s scale, ambition, and portrayal of all the musical pivots of Taylor’s career, whereas The Atlantic‘s Spencer Kornhaber complimented the show’s art direction, suspense, and the sequencing of the acts. Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times described the show as a “masterclass in pop ambition”, showcasing Taylor’s range.
Critics also appreciated the tour’s production value and artistic direction. Philip Cosores of Uproxx dubbed it the “most impressive stadium show ever conceived”, atypical of pop and rock artists, with USA Today‘s Melissa Ruggieri noting that no mainstream artist since Bruce Springsteen has “packed so much music into one show.” Spin critic Jonathan Cohen admired the rich stage design, usage of “state-of-the-art” technology, and immersive experience into Taylor’s “increasingly accomplished musical world-building”. He added that artists at their prime very rarely present their discography as Taylor did. Variety journalist Chris Willman felt that the “epic” show demonstrated that “the person who has come up with the single greatest body of pop songwriting in the 21st century is also its most popular performer.” Pollstar‘s Christina Fuoco and Rolling Stone‘s Waiss David Aramesh opined that the tour is “live music at its highest spectacle” and “a production spectacle of the highest echelon”, commending Taylor’s showmanship. Melinda Sheckels of Consequence praised the tour’s “nuanced and interpretive” approach in depicting Taylor’s albums and the “sheer magnitude, artistry, and technical prowess” of the production.
Variety projected “The Eras Tour” to outgross the “reputation Stadium Tour,” which holds the female record for the highest-grossing tour in the United States, with US$266,100,000 from 38 dates; “The Eras Tour” had already expanded to 52 dates within the country. However, Variety noted that “setting a record gross for international touring may be tougher” as English singer-songwriter (and Taylor’s close friend) Ed Sheeran held the record with his “÷ Tour” (2017–19), which consisted of 255 dates, at the time of the projection. Taylor’s five-show run at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles also stands to generate the highest boxscore at a single venue in the US. She could break the SoFi Stadium record set by South Korean boy group BTS’ four shows in 2022, which grossed $33.3 million, and the all-time US record held by Bruce Springsteen’s 10-night stand at Giants Stadium in 2003, which grossed $38.7 million. Following the Ticketmaster controversy, Pollstar projected Taylor to gross an increased $728 million sum across her 52 US dates and “a mind-boggling billion dollars” internationally, surpassing Sheeran’s all-time record with less than half of his tour’s dates; it would become the first tour in history to gross a billion-dollar sum.
In the first day of its presale alone, “The Eras Tour” sold over 2.4 million tickets, the most sold by an artist in a single day, surpassing Robbie Williams, who had sold 1.6 million tickets for his “Close Encounters Tour” in 2005. Billboard reported on December 15 that “The Eras Tour” had already grossed an estimated $554 million, and projected the US leg to finish with $591 million, surpassing the former all-time female record set by Madonna’s “Sticky & Sweet Tour” ($407 million) in 2008–2009. Following the tour, Taylor rose to No. 1 on Pollstar‘s “Artist Power Index” chart.