Dispersed between her upbeat songs were the ballads, a time for her and the crowd to catch their breath after dancing and jumping their way through each song. All Too Well was one of her longest ballads, coming in at just over 10 minutes. What was one of the most impressive parts of the show was how Taylor managed to keep the crowd constantly engaged. Fans going for a bathroom break mid-show were often seen running towards the nearest exit during specific transitions so they would miss the least amount of her onstage as possible.

During Enchanted, at the London show, the bar staff at the back of the floor were having a blast, with them dramatically belting the lyrics at each other in between handing out drinks, which was lovely to see. Very rarely do you see event staff allowed to have a good time whilst doing their jobs, so their enthusiasm was a breath of fresh air. Police and events stewards also wore their fair share of friendship bracelets, another reflection of how the culture around the show extends beyond her immediate fanbase.

Amidst the sheer joy radiating the venue, as an attendee that had seen the show once before, it was clear that the rehearsals of the show had an impact – but not in the way you’d expect. From Swift’s early speech where she describes how *insert city* is making her feel like The Man, a lead in to the song of the same name, to the pre-planned silence after champagne problems; after seeing the show twice in quick succession, the orchestration of her reactions to the crowd start to feel hollow. There is little room for each show’s individuality to show, which I believe is a reason that fans always hope for a ‘rain show,’ as that’s when things tend to go awry and give fans a peek at a more authentic Taylor Swift, the person behind the behemoth megastar.

However, the sheer scale of the show does require such intense practice, as venues have strict noise laws to adhere to (plus, the British transport infrastructure is a fragile beast at the best of times). The sheer perfectionism needed to execute such a massive tour, and even just an individual show, is astounding. Looking around each venue and seeing tens of thousands of people singing along to the same song at the same time is a truly magical experience.

Moving away from the traditional setlist she performs night-in night-out, Swift takes a moment towards the end of the show to make each night have a slightly unique experience during the ‘surprise song’ part of the show. Typically playing a medley of two songs on piano and another two on guitar, fans love to piece together lyrical ‘easter eggs’ to predict what songs she would play at what venue. With tracks entitled London Boy and So Long, London, the bets were clear as to what songs she’d play at her 8 show residency at Wembley Stadium.

Yet, Taylor subverted audience expectations at her second night at Wembley, singing a duet with opener Paramore’s front-woman Hayley Williams. Castles Crumbling, a vault track from Swift’s re-recording of her entirely self-written album Speak Now, was performed for the first time, and the pair sang each other’s praises continually on stage, showing mutual respect for the other’s artistry. The stadium was illuminated in lilac from the light-up wristbands that have become a signature part of a Taylor Swift show, another nod to the purple aesthetic of her third album.

This tour is a clear victory lap. It’s an opportunity for Taylor to show that she is at her very best when she’s theatrical, bathing in the limelight. The clear nods to each ‘era’ of hers are rewarding to her fanbase, celebrating their mutual history and achievements. After all, no artist’s success is possible without their supporters, and this run of shows cements how Swifties have grown with Taylor, and vice-versa.