Honestly, nobody expected the Eras Tour to change this much. When Taylor Swift announced The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) at the Grammys, most fans assumed we’d maybe get a stray surprise song or a new outfit. Instead, she basically performed open-heart surgery on the biggest tour in history.
It was May 2024 in Paris. The lights dimmed, and suddenly, the intro included a new voice. A new chapter. Fans were losing their minds because the "Eras" we had memorized for over a year were being shuffled like a deck of cards.
Taylor Swift TTPD Eras Tour isn't just a setlist update; it’s a total tonal shift. She calls it "Female Rage: The Musical," and if you’ve seen the way she stomps across the stage during The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, you know she isn’t joking.
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The Great Setlist Purge
To make room for the poetry, some favorites had to die. It felt personal for a lot of people. The Archer? Gone. Long Live? Snatched away again. Even Tolerate It—perhaps the most theatrical moment of the original show—was left on the cutting room floor.
She didn't just delete songs; she fused entire eras. Folklore and Evermore are now "Folkmore," a combined act that moves significantly faster than the original "cabin in the woods" segments. It’s efficient. It’s sleek. But for the fans who loved the slow burn of the pandemic sisters, it was a bit of a shock.
Here is what the Taylor Swift TTPD Eras Tour looks like now in terms of the main TTPD set:
- But Daddy I Love Him (fused with a snippet of So High School)
- Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? (featuring a floating room visual that is genuinely terrifying)
- Down Bad (complete with an alien abduction beam)
- Fortnight
- The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived (the marching band moment)
- I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
That last one? It’s the ultimate "the show must go on" anthem. She performs a literal costume change on stage, being forced into a sparkly outfit by her dancers while she looks miserable. It’s meta. It’s heartbreaking. It’s very Taylor.
The Vivienne Westwood Aesthetic
The fashion changed too. Out went the colorful cottagecore and in came the Victorian-industrial-asylum chic.
The centerpiece is a custom Vivienne Westwood white ballgown. Look closely—the lyrics "I love you, it's ruining my life" are scrawled across the fabric like someone scribbling in a notebook during a breakdown. It’s structured, it’s messy, and it’s arguably the most "high fashion" the tour has ever been.
She pairs this with a black choker and white lace-up boots. Then, for The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, she throws on a white hussar military jacket. It’s a visual representation of the album’s core conflict: the vulnerability of the "tortured poet" versus the rigidity of the "professional performer."
Why the reorder matters
By moving the Taylor Swift TTPD Eras Tour segment to follow 1989, Taylor changed the energy of the entire night. 1989 is high-octane pop. TTPD is a descent into madness.
The transition is jarring on purpose. You go from shaking it off to questioning your entire existence. The stage design for this era uses "reflective surface architecture"—basically mirrors and LED floors that make the stage look like an infinite, lonely void. It’s a massive departure from the literal dollhouse of the Lover era.
What it feels like on the ground
If you’re standing in the pit, the vibe is different now. The "original" Eras Tour felt like a celebratory trip through the past. The TTPD version feels like a live confrontation with the present.
There's a specific moment during Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? where she stands on a platform that glides across the stage. She looks like she’s levitating. It’s spooky. It’s aggressive. It’s a far cry from the sparkling princess vibes of the Fearless set.
Critics like to argue that the show is too long. At over three and a half hours, it’s a marathon. But adding TTPD didn't make it feel longer for most—it made it feel more urgent. You aren't just watching a greatest hits show anymore; you're watching a living diary that is still being written.
The Surprise Song Factor
Don't forget the acoustic set. Ever since the TTPD update, the "Surprise Song" section has basically become a playground for TTPD mashups. She’s been pairing the new tracks with deep cuts from Red or Speak Now, creating these complex narrative arcs that keep the "Swiftologists" busy on TikTok for days.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're heading to a show in the tail end of the tour, here’s how to handle the TTPD shift:
- Check the "Folkmore" transition: Since Folklore and Evermore are now one set, the pacing is faster. If you need a bathroom break, this is no longer the 25-minute window it used to be.
- Study the TTPD lyrics: Unlike Shake It Off, you can't just mumble your way through But Daddy I Love Him. The crowd scream-sings every word, and the "Female Rage" energy is 100% dependent on everyone knowing the bridge.
- Watch the dancers: The choreography during I Can Do It With a Broken Heart is full of "silent film" era physical comedy. It’s easy to miss if you’re just staring at Taylor, but the dancers are playing specific roles (the "handlers") that make the song much darker.
- Prepare for the tonal shift: The jump from 1989 to TTPD is the most intense part of the show. Be ready for the "cotton candy" vibe to disappear instantly.
The Taylor Swift TTPD Eras Tour proved that Taylor isn't afraid to kill her darlings. She sacrificed some of her most beloved live performances to make room for a raw, messy, and complicated new era. It made the tour less of a museum and more of a mirror.
Whether you miss The Archer or you live for the "Female Rage," there's no denying that the show is more complex than ever. It’s not just a concert anymore. It’s a 31-track anthology brought to life in the most theatrical way possible.