Taylor Swift The Eras Tour 2023: what is setlist, special songs - could she still play other songs?

Taylor Swift has plenty of songs to choose from for her ongoing ‘The Eras Tour’ - but which ones is she most likely to add to her setlist?
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In March 2023, Taylor Swift made a spectacular return to the live music scene, launching her ‘The Eras Tour’ with a three-hour and fifteen-minute extravaganza in Glendale, Arizona.

The star had told fans the concert would be a “journey through all of her musical eras” and she stayed true to her promise - performing a mammoth setlist of 44 songs from across her nearly two-decade career. She showcased tracks from all ten of her smash-hit albums, meaning the night toured through an array of musical genres - from indie folk and alternative, to country and all the varieties of pop.

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She has since announced international dates - returning she will be performing in the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia - sending fans into a frenzy of excitement and anticipation. It has also prompted questions about whether the tour will stay the same as what has been going on in the United States, or if Swift will switch things up.

While most of the setlist has stayed the same as Swift has been making her way through the US, the 33-year-old has thrown in a few changes - after initially warning fans that “setlist hijinks” will take place. She also has been treating each concert to special ‘surprise songs’, which only that set of fans will hear.

Swift told the audience: “The plan is to play different songs every single night and never repeat one. So, when you’ve heard one on this tour, you’ll know it’s the only time I’m going to play it.” The only exceptions, the singer-songwriter later announced, are if she “messes up” the performance - or if she plays a song from her latest album Midnights, which she can do again and again.

So which tunes could still have their moment in the spotlight? Here, we’ll take a look at what’s already on Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ setlist, which songs are likely to pop up, and which ones - as much as we’d like them to - might not be played this time around, at least on the US leg of the tour. (But never say never - and who knows what will happen when Swift begins her international legs?)

Taylor Swift has hundreds of songs to choose from for her ongoing ‘The Eras Tour’ - but which ones is she most likely to add to her setlist? Credit: Getty ImagesTaylor Swift has hundreds of songs to choose from for her ongoing ‘The Eras Tour’ - but which ones is she most likely to add to her setlist? Credit: Getty Images
Taylor Swift has hundreds of songs to choose from for her ongoing ‘The Eras Tour’ - but which ones is she most likely to add to her setlist? Credit: Getty Images

What is the setlist for ‘The Eras Tour’?

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Swift performs 44 songs at each concert as part of her usual setlist. These are:

  • Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince
  • Cruel Summer
  • The Man
  • You Need to Calm Down
  • Lover
  • The Archer
  • Fearless
  • You Belong With Me
  • Love Story
  • ‘tis the damn season
  • willow
  • marjorie
  • champagne problems
  • tolerate it
  • ...Ready for It?
  • Delicate
  • Don’t Blame Me
  • Look What You Made Me Do
  • Enchanted
  • 22
  • We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
  • I Knew You Were Trouble
  • All Too Well (10 Minute Version)
  • invisible string or the 1
  • betty
  • the last great american dynasty
  • august
  • illicit affairs
  • my tears ricochet
  • cardigan
  • Style
  • Blank Space
  • Shake It Off
  • Wildest Dreams
  • Bad Blood
  • Lavender Haze
  • Anti‐Hero
  • Midnight Rain
  • Vigilante Shit
  • Bejeweled
  • Mastermind
  • Karma

Night 1’s ‘surprise songs’ were mirrorball, from the album folklore, and Tim McGraw, from Swift’s debut, self-titled album.

Night 2’s ‘surprise songs’ were State of Grace, from the album Red, and this is me trying, also off folklore.

Night 3’s ‘surprise songs’ were Our Song, from Swift’s debut album, and Snow On The Beach, from Midnights.

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Night 4’s ‘surprise songs’ were cowboy like me, from evermore, and White Horse, from Fearless.

Night 5’s ‘surprise songs’ were Sad Beautiful Tragic from Red and Ours from Speak Now.

Night 6’s ‘surprise songs’ were Death By A Thousand Cuts from Lover and Clean from 1989.

Night 7’s ‘surprise songs’ were Jump Then Fall from Fearless and The Lucky One from Red.

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Night 8’s ‘surprise songs’ were Speak Now from Speak Now and Treacherous from Red.

Night 9’s ‘surprise songs’ were The Great War from Midnights and You’re On Your Own Kid from Midnights.

Night 10’s ‘surprise songs’ were mad woman from folklore and Mean from Speak Now.

Night 11’s ‘surprise songs’ were Wonderland from 1989 and You’re Not Sorry from Fearless.

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Night 12’s ‘surprise songs’ were A Place In This World from Swift’s debut album and Today Was A Fairytale from Fearless.

Night 13’s ‘surprise songs’ were Begin Again from Red and Cold As You from Swift’s debut album.

Night 14’s ‘surprise songs’ were The Other Side Of The Door from Fearless and coney island from evermore.

Night 15’s ‘surprise songs’ were High Infidelity from Midnights and Georgeous from Reputation.

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Night 16’s ‘surprise songs’ were I Bet You Think About Me from Red and How You Get The Girl from 1989.

Night 17’s ‘surprise songs’ were Sparks Fly from Speak Now and Teardrops On My Guitar from Swift’s debut album.

Night 18’s ‘surprise songs’ were Out Of The Woods from 1989 and Fifteen from Fearless.

Night 19’s ‘surprise songs’ were Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve from Midnights and Mine from Speak Now.

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Night 20’s ‘surprise songs’ were gold rush from evermore and Come Back... Be Here from Red.

Night 21’s ‘surprise songs’ were Forever & Always from Fearless and This Love from 1989.

Night 22’s ‘surprise songs’ were Hey Stephen from Fearless and The Best Day from Fearless.

Night 23’s ‘surprise songs’ were Should’ve Said No from Swift’s debut album and Better Man from Red.

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Night 24’s ‘surprise songs’ were Question...? from Midnights and Invisible from Swift’s debut album.

Night 25’s ‘surprise songs’ were I Think He Knows from Lover and Red from Red.

Night 26’s ‘surprise songs’ were Getaway Car from Reputation and Maroon from Midnights.

Night 27’s ‘surprise songs’ were Holy Ground from Red and False God from Lover.

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Night 28’s ‘surprise songs’ were Welcome To New York and Clean, both from 1989.

Night 29’s ‘surprise songs’ were I Wish You Would from 1989 and the lakes from folklore.

Night 30’s ‘surprise songs’ were You All Over Me from Fearless and I Don’t Want To Live Forever, which is a single not on an album.

Night 31’s ‘surprise songs’ were Hits Different from Midnights and The Moment I Knew from Red.

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Night 32’s ‘surprise songs’ were Haunted from Speak Now and I Almost Do from Red.

Night 33’s ‘surprise songs’ were All You Had To Do Was Stay from 1989 and Breathe from Fearless.

Night 34’s ‘surprise songs’ were Mr Perfectly Fine from Fearless and The Last Time from Red.

Night 35’s ‘surprise songs’ were seven from folklore and The Story Of Us from Speak Now.

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Night 36’s ‘surprise songs’ were Paper Rings from Lover and If This Was A Movie, which originally appeared on Speak Now but has appeared on Fearless for its ‘Taylor’s Version’.

Night 37’s ‘surprise songs’ were Dear John from Speak Now and Daylight from Lover.

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023 in Swift City, ERAzona (Glendale, Arizona). Credit: Getty ImagesTaylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023 in Swift City, ERAzona (Glendale, Arizona). Credit: Getty Images
Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023 in Swift City, ERAzona (Glendale, Arizona). Credit: Getty Images

Which songs could Taylor Swift still play?

Swift has already told fans to expect more tracks via her secret ‘surprise songs’ at each concert, and one or two others may pop up as a special treat too. Here are the songs which we think have the best chance from each album.

Taylor Swift (Debut)

Our Song (CORRECT - Played 24 March, Las Vegas, Nevada): This is one of Swift’s most nostalgic hits and would fit seamlessly into a tour dedicated to taking a journey back through her career. The singer-songwriter has been known to be sentimental when it comes to her concerts - so this old but great fan-favourite has a good chance of making an appearance.

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Teardrops On My Guitar (CORRECT - Played 5 May, Nashville, Tennessee): The same logic applies for ‘Teardrops On My Guitar’. Swift’s first-ever single ‘Tim McGraw’ is on the setlist, so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to include her second-ever hit - and again, the nostalgia would almost be too much to cope with.

Fearless

The Way I Loved You: Swift is very good at keeping up with what her fans love. She made this clear on opening night of ‘The Eras Tour’ by performing the fan-created TikTok dance for her song ‘Bejeweled’ and by referencing social media jokes about her album evermore. So it would only make sense that she’s aware of the adoration for ‘The Way I Loved You’, and at this point in the concert - which is all about a toned-down moment of audience connection - this tune would make a truly memorable sing-along.

Mr Perfectly Fine (CORRECT - Played 16 June, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): ‘Mr Perfectly Fine’ was released from ‘The Vault’ in the Taylor’s Version of her album Fearless - and instantly became a hit. Some might argue it’s too upbeat for the acoustic style Swift takes in her ‘surprise songs’, but during her tour for Reputation, she turned production-heavy ‘Dancing With Our Hands Tied’ into a stripped-back acoustic performance, so it’s possible she does something similar for ‘Mr Perfectly Fine’.

Which songs could Taylor Swift still play at ‘The Eras Tour’? Credit: Getty ImagesWhich songs could Taylor Swift still play at ‘The Eras Tour’? Credit: Getty Images
Which songs could Taylor Swift still play at ‘The Eras Tour’? Credit: Getty Images

Speak Now

Haunted (CORRECT - Played 9 June, Detroit, Michigan): Since there is so far only one song from Speak Now on the setlist, it would make sense that a fair few of the ‘surprise songs’ come from this album. ‘Haunted’, which already has an acoustic version, would be perfect for this - and Swift in the past has performed it during her tours for Red and Reputation, meaning she clearly enjoys doing so.

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Long Live: This is less about what Swift is likely to play and more about what she needs to play. Fans are often split over favourites when it comes to the popstar’s discography, but something everyone seems to be united on is that she must play ‘Long Live’. The song was written as a love letter to her fans, so would make perfect sense for a tour which is effectively a love letter to her career. Perhaps on the last night of the US leg?

Red

Red (CORRECT - Played 21 May, Foxborough, Massachusetts): Everyone knows that one of Swift’s favourite albums is Red - so the likelihood of her performing its title track seems pretty high. This song is one of those which just epitomises Swift, with its expressive vocals, vivid lyrics, and just a real sense of heart. It has to show up at one point or another.

Nothing New (CORRECT - Swift started including this in the setlist from 5 May onwards, performing alongside Phoebe Bridgers): Another song from ‘The Vault’ that was released with Taylor’s Version of the album, ‘Nothing New’ may pop up not as a ‘surprise song’ but instead just as a general treat for fans. Phoebe Bridgers features on the song - and she’s been announced as an opener, so Swift could easily bring her back on stage at one point for a duet.

Taylor Swift has made a spectacular return to the live music scene, launching her ‘The Eras Tour’ with a three-hour and fifteen-minute extravaganza in Glendale, Arizona. Credit: Getty ImagesTaylor Swift has made a spectacular return to the live music scene, launching her ‘The Eras Tour’ with a three-hour and fifteen-minute extravaganza in Glendale, Arizona. Credit: Getty Images
Taylor Swift has made a spectacular return to the live music scene, launching her ‘The Eras Tour’ with a three-hour and fifteen-minute extravaganza in Glendale, Arizona. Credit: Getty Images

1989

Out Of The Woods (CORRECT - Played on 6 May, Nashville, Tennessee): This power-ballad from Swift’s knock-out 2014 album is another strong contender. She’s been known to perform it live a fair few times - including for ‘The Grammys Museum’ - so one lucky set of fans will likely be treated to this track.

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You Are In Love: ‘You Are In Love’ is just such a heartfelt track, in which Swift writes so vividly about love and romance, that it would make for a truly special performance.

Reputation

Getaway Car (CORRECT - Played on 26 May in East Rutherford, New Jersey): It just seems like Swift won’t be able to get away with not playing this one. It’s such a classic of the Reputation era of her career.

I Did Something Bad: Again, a classic. This one almost certainly won’t pop up as a ‘surprise song’ because the greatness of the track comes through when Swift performs it with the whole shebang of lights, effects, and backup dancers - but it definitely could be slotted into the Reputation section of the night at some point.

Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023 in Swift City, ERAzona (Glendale, Arizona). Credit: Getty ImagesTaylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023 in Swift City, ERAzona (Glendale, Arizona). Credit: Getty Images
Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023 in Swift City, ERAzona (Glendale, Arizona). Credit: Getty Images

Lover

Death By A Thousand Cuts (CORRECT - Played 1 April, Arlington, Texas): This would make a perfect ‘surprise song’. It’s all about what Swift is most known for (her lyrics), and is a great song to strip-back before having Swift and her fans belt it out the top of their lungs.

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Cornelia Street: Swift’s version of ‘Cornelia Street’ in Paris is one of her most watched live performances. It was beautiful then, and would be beautiful as part of ‘The Eras Tour’.

folklore

the 1 (CORRECT - Swift replaced ‘invisible string’ with ‘the 1’ at her concerts in Arlington, Texas): Swift’s folklore already has a six-song slot on her current setlist, but both Night 1 and Night 2’s ‘special song’ were from this album, so she could well do the same again. If she does, it would make sense to perform folklore’s first track, ‘the 1’, which immediately became iconic when it marked her grand return to the music scene in the middle of a pandemic.

exile: This, like some of the above, is one which might not appear as a ‘surprise song’ - but rather one which could just show up in the form of a duet with collaborator, Bon Iver. Swift made a shock appearance at one of the band’s gigs back in October, so it would only be fair for them to return the favour.

Which songs could Taylor Swift still play at ‘The Eras Tour’? Credit: Getty ImagesWhich songs could Taylor Swift still play at ‘The Eras Tour’? Credit: Getty Images
Which songs could Taylor Swift still play at ‘The Eras Tour’? Credit: Getty Images

evermore

ivy: It’s more difficult to pick the songs Swift may perform from evermore, as prior to ‘The Eras Tour’, she had never performed any of this album’s songs live (except for ‘willow’). However, ‘ivy’ seems to be a possible contender from this album, as it has that ethereal, otherwordly quality that would make it a great choice for the moment of pause that comes with her ‘surprise songs’.

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long story short: This is way more of a long shot, but like ‘Long Live’ from Speak Now, it makes sense for ‘The Eras Tour’ - because the track is all about looking back on her life. For fans who have stuck by Swift’s side through all she’s been through over the past years, hearing the artist sing ‘long story short, I survived’ would be a pretty special moment.

Midnights

Maroon (CORRECT - Played on 26 May in East Rutherford, New Jersey): It’s just such a stand-out fan-favourite that it must be on Swift’s radar. Also, as Midnights hasn’t had its own tour, it’s likely Swift will want to perform as many songs as she can from her most recent album.

You’re On Your Own Kid (CORRECT - Played 14 April, Tampa, Florida): This is another one which may make an appearance nearer the end of Swift’s tour, given the fact that, again, it’s a bit of an epic looking back on the different stages of her life - which of course makes it perfect for ‘The Eras Tour’.

Songs I Would Love Her To Play But Don’t Think She Will

Finally, let’s take a look at some of the songs I would love Swift to play on tour, but just have a feeling won’t have their moment in the spotlight. (We can always dream, though).

  • Picture To Burn: It’s one that needs a big production, and I just feel like Swift will save that for tracks off albums like 1989, Reputation, and Midnights.
  • You’re Not Sorry: I just don’t see it happening. WRONG - Swift played this on 21 April in Houston, Texas.
  • Dear John: Despite it being beloved by fans, Swift hasn’t performed it once since her Speak Now tour - so it probably won’t happen this time around. WRONG - Swift played this on 24 June in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • I Almost Do: This is one of Red’s most severely underrated tracks. WRONG - Swift played this on 9 June in Detroit, Michigan.
  • Wonderland: Again, this song deserves more recognition - but I’m just not sure it will appear on the setlist. WRONG - Swift played this on 21 April in Houston, Texas.
  • Dancing With Our Hands Tied: I love this song, but it got special treatment with an acoustic version on the Reputation stadium tour, so has probably had its time.
  • Daylight: It’s such a beautiful song, and would make a great opportunity for lyrical parallels with ‘Red’, but I have my doubts about it appearing. WRONG - Swift played this on 24 June in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • the lakes:WRONG - Swift played on 2 June in Chicago, Illinois. This would make for a masterpiece of a performance with all the strings, but as a bonus track, it might not make the setlist when there are so many songs fighting for a place.
  • right where you left me: It’s also a bonus track, so the same reasons apply, but it is just arguably one of Swift’s best songs and should be performed at one point or another.
  • Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve: Although I have a prediction that she will play every song from her latest album Midnights at one point on tour, this one is just so vulnerable that it might get left off the setlist. WRONG - Swift played this on 7 May in Nashville, Tennessee.

What will Swift play in the UK, and on her other international dates?

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Swift will likely mix up the setlist when she kicks off her international tour, as she’s known for keeping fans on their toes. She will also probably have to have start again with her ‘surprise songs’, as a fair few of the fan-favourite options have already been used up. Come back here when she starts international dates and we’ll keep you updated!

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