Review: In Miami, crowds sing through a downpour, at the final rain show of Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ Tour

Fashioned with armbands of friendship bracelets and the number “13” drawn on hands, hardcore Swifties, and more casual listeners, readied themselves for Taylor Swift’s final night in Miami, and her final night in Florida for the Eras Tour.

In the year since the Eras’ Tour began in March 2023, Swift has visited five continents, released three more albums, gained a Super Bowl-winning boyfriend and had multiple of her openers explode in popularity. Like Sabrina Carpenter, who opened for Swift’s South America, Australia and Singapore dates, pre-“Espresso” fame.

Before last night’s single opener Gracie Abrams even came out on stage, light rain began to fill up in cowboy hats and seats, setting the scene for the on-and-off again drizzle that would remain for the rest of the show.

Swift’s first outdoor shows of the Eras tour were in Tampa in April 2023. Her last were over the weekend in Miami. Her return, apropos, would be the final rain show of the tour, as all of the venues going forward are indoors.

“My first time in Miami and my first rain show,” Abrams wrote on Instagram shortly after the show. “Thank you, Miami, for letting us hang out with you these past three nights.”

On the first night in Miami, Abrams released the deluxe edition of her critically acclaimed album, The Secret of Us. The main track off the album, Us. (stylized in all lowercase), features and was co-written by Swift. On Sunday, she performed the track solo, along with some of her top hits, “Close to You,” “21” and “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” along with the already popular, brand-new song, “That’s So True.”

The special guests and celebrity appearances are part of the experience at an Eras show. At last night’s celebrity VIP tent, Abrams’ current boyfriend (and ex-boyfriend of previous Eras opener, Phoebe Bridgers), Paul Mescal, known for his performance in “Normal People” and the upcoming “Gladiator II” film, was in attendance.

Another surprise appearance from nights one and two, was Florence Welch (known for her music of herself “+ The Machine”), to sing her and Swift’s collaboration, “Florida!!!” The track is off Swift’s latest album The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), released last April. TTPD was released after Swift had finished the first American leg of the tour, so while Europe has already become familiar with the TTPD set, Miami is experiencing its American debut.

She performed the most popular tracks from the album like “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” a mashup of “But Daddy I Love Him” and “So High School” (a possible nod towards Travis Kelce, who was busy facing off against the 49ers, during the show last night), “Fortnight” (without Post Malone), and others.

The most notable mention to Kelce though, was the lyrical change in the final song of the night, “Karma.” Originally the track said, “Karma is the guy on the screen” (a nod to then-boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn), and last night she sang the infamous “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs.”

This is reportedly the first time she has sung this line without Kelce being present. As she first debuted the lyric at a show in Sydney, Australia, where Kelce was in attendance, shortly after the Super Bowl.

One of the most anticipated parts of the show is the “surprise song o’clock” section, where Swift plays two to four different songs at each show.

At the start of the tour, she sang two full-length songs, but beginning in Australia she began doing mashups, typically two mashups of two songs.

Last night, she sang a mashup of “Out Of The Woods” and “All You Had To Do Was Stay” on the guitar and “Mirrorball” and “Guilty As Sin?” on the piano. Audible gasps and screams of excitement could be heard throughout the stadium, once Swift played the first chord for Out of the Woods and later revealed the 1989 mashup.

The roughly 61,500 people at the Hard Rock stadium ended the night around 11:30 p.m., the usual end time for the Eras Tour’s over three-hour-long set.

Regardless of your Swift knowledge, the show is a hit for all ages, from the dads with their daughters wearing shirts like “I’m in my dad era,” or the teenage girls building up the courage to ask a younger fan to trade bracelets.

“Miami, Florida, you have danced with us in the rain. You have sung and screamed at the top of your lungs all night. You have given us absolutely everything you’ve had to give. We love you for it,” said Swift at the end of the night as fireworks exploded into the night sky. “We will never forget tonight.”

Taylor Swift Eras Tour Setlist—Oct. 20, 2024 (Miami, Hard Rock Stadium)
Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince (snippet)
Cruel Summer
The Man
You Need To Calm Down
Lover
Fearless
You Belong With Me
Love Story
22
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well
Enchanted (snippet)
…Ready For It?
Delicate
Don’t Blame Me
Look What You Made Me Do
Cardigan
Betty
Champagne Problems
August
Illicit Affairs
My Tears Ricochet
Marjorie
Willow
Style
Blank Space
Shake It Off
Wildest Dreams
Bad Blood
But Daddy I Love Him/So High School
Florida!!! (w/ Florence Welch)
Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?
Down Bad/Fortnight
Fortnight
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
Out Of The Woods/All You Had To Do Was Stay (acoustic)
Mirrorball/Guilty As Sin? (piano)
Lavender Haze
Anti-Hero
Midnight Rain
Vigilante Shit
Bejeweled
Mastermind
Karma

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This article appears in Oct 17-23, 2024.