The good, bad and ugly of Taylor Swift's 3-night "Eras Tour"
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Swift, on her first of three nights in Indy. Photo: Kevin Mazur/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Indy's reputation as a host city was on the line this weekend and, by and large, the thousands of visitors in town for the final three nights of the U.S. leg of Taylor Swift's massive "Eras Tour" were enchanted by our performance.
Why it matters: "The Eras Tour" weekend is expected to have a nine-figure economic impact on the Circle City.
Zoom in: Here's what went all too well — and what didn't.
🪩 Good:
- The prep. The city was ready for it. From the friendship bracelet craft station at the airport to the Taylor Swift music blasting from the speakers on Monument Circle, visiting Swifties were welcomed with open arms.
- The 'fits! Unparalleled sparkle and creativity, y'all.
- The vibe. In addition to their great style, Swifties have to be one of the friendliest crowds we've seen descend on Indy. Everyone was trading tips, compliments and, of course, friendship bracelets.
- The merch. Swifties were buying up more than just the official gear. The INDEX, the official visitors center gift shop, sold nearly all of its Swift-related merchandise within a couple of hours on Friday. Francis + Fern, a Mass Ave boutique known for stocking Swift-themed items, had a line of shoppers down the block all weekend.
- The spirit. Just about every bar, restaurant and hotel in the area got in on the fun, too, with dance parties, crafts, signage and special menus.
- The guy on the Chiefs. Swift's boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, attended Saturday night's show.
🤯 Bad:
- Parking fees! $80 for parking at Circle Centre Mall. $100+ for parking near Lucas Oil Stadium.
- The missing bracelet. The stadium installed a giant friendship bracelet on the South Street entrance, but the wind forced them to take it down by midday Friday. That left a lot of Swifties sad, confused and wandering around, trying to find the bracelet sent from New Orleans.
- Tech issue. Swift needed a battery change mid-show on Friday. Yes, but: She's a pro and didn't miss a beat.
- Merch line. By Saturday night, the merch line had shifted to start in an overflow room across the hall from where the actual line was supposed to start. The set up forced security guards to stop people from walking through the hall so the merch line could jet across without people sneaking in.
- Georgia Street. For most big events Indy hosts, this area comes alive with photo opportunities, live music, artwork and food and drink tents. But this weekend, the strip was empty, only displaying blue and pink signage that said "Swift City." We think this was a missed opportunity given how many people were walking through there.
🚧 Ugly:
- Construction. Two of our iconic spots for tourists to take photos — Monument Circle and the Statehouse — was surrounded by fencing, dumpsters and portable toilets. Pan Am Plaza under construction wasn't pretty either.
- Circle Centre Mall. It was another missed opportunity to fill vacant storefronts with various Swift-themed activations. Other than Purdue's STEM-related event and an arts-themed set up in the Artsgarden, the mall looked as it normally does — empty stores and broken escalators.
The bottom line: Indy took a lot of big swings to welcome Taylor nation to town (hello, JW graphic!). There were a lot of hits, a few misses, but there's no bad blood here.
Go deeper: See a photo gallery from the weekend