Singing, screaming and dancing with Taylor Swift in the cinema

The Swifties’ vocal chords are taking a heavy hit. Fans sing along to the film for almost three hours Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, a recording of the concert series with which Taylor Swift sold out stadiums in the US this year. “Are you a bit hoarse?” father Willem (45) asks his daughter Karlijn (13) afterwards. “Yes,” she says. “I sang along very loudly.” Father accompanies his daughters this Thursday evening in Pathé Utrecht Leidsche Rijn. But with his T-shirt he shows that he is also a fan of the American pop phenomenon. It says ‘SWIFTIE DAD’. “I had been listening to her music for a long time. Now I do that with my daughters and they really go for it.”

During the film, everyone in the room participates. The Swifties have less to worry about cinema etiquette: singing, dancing and even recording on the phone are encouraged, as long as you don’t bother others. The atmosphere at some screenings is also more like a concert than a film screening. That is not yet the case during a previous performance NRC visits in Eindhoven. During this afternoon screening everyone remains seated, although there are many moving heads to be seen during hits such as ‘Shake It off’ and ‘Anti-Hero’. A group of friends let us know afterwards that they wanted to dance. But something like that feels uncomfortable in a quiet room, according to 23-year-old Lisa. “But I support people who dance very much. Live your dream!”

In the show, Swift puts all her ‘eras’ (eras, actually just albums) in the spotlight. Each era has its own visual style that is incorporated into the stadium show: during the songs of the subdued pandemic album Folklore Swift walks across the roof of a forest hut, during the synth pop of her most recent album Midnights jewels fly across the gigantic video catwalk that Swift is on.

Taylor Swift: an outing for fathers and daughters.

Photo Dieuwertje Bravenboer

A group of friends in Eindhoven go to the Taylor Swift film together. Photo Dieuwertje Bravenboer

Fans in Utrecht sing along. Photo Dieuwertje Bravenboer

World star

Despite the technical ingenuity on stage, there’s no doubting the real attraction: Taylor Swift herself. During registration you will see why she has achieved her status as a world star. In addition to an arsenal of strong songs, her big weapon is the way she communicates with her fans, predominantly young women. Some see themselves in her and grew with her, younger fans see her as a cool older sister. Even in a stadium with 70,000 visitors, in this case SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, she knows how to create intimacy. She acts as if she can’t believe she’s standing there. After a while, as a sober viewer, you start to believe that.

The fact that it seems sincere does not alter the fact that Swift is also an incredibly smart business woman, someone who knows her value. With the release of the Eras Tourfilm, she once again shows her unique position in the pop landscape. Without the cooperation of a film studio, she arranged distribution directly with cinema chains such as AMC Theaters in the US and Pathé in the Netherlands. While the European part of the tour has yet to take place, the recording has already been shown in cinemas here since last week (it will be performed three times in a sold-out Johan Cruijff Arena in July 2024). A regular ticket for the film costs 19.89 euros, more expensive than an average cinema ticket. The award refers to both her year of birth and her album 1989. That move turned out well: in its first weekend, the film grossed around $130 million worldwide: $93 million in America and almost $31 million in the rest of the world. This makes it already the most successful concert film ever.

Taylor Swift Bracelets. Photo Dieuwertje Bravenboer

The coat of Taylor Swif fan Ferres. Photo Dieuwertje Bravenboer

More concert films

Another pop icon also performed at stadiums and cinemas this year: Beyoncé, who was also present at the premiere of Swift’s film. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé will be released in America from December 1. A Pathé spokesperson could not yet provide clarity about a Dutch premiere, but it seems logical that the film will also find its way to Dutch cinemas. But it’s not just the modern acts that see something in the movie theater. A revamped version of the legendary Talking Heads concert film will be released in January Stop Making Sense from 1984 in theaters.

There is a good chance that after this success, more registrations will go to the cinema. This means that another trend has collapsed again. Both Swift and Beyoncé transferred their previous concert registrations to the streaming service Netflix. They both seem to have come to the conclusion that a cinema release is even more lucrative. And from a less business perspective: it is of course much more fun to see such a film in a room with cheerful like-minded people.

While the popcorn boxes are being cleared away, the debriefing in Utrecht continues for a while. Friends show off their Taylor Swift bracelets and talk about their favorite ‘eras’. 10-year-old Ferres, who wears a jacket with all the album titles, also says his voice is bothering him. It was worth it: “It’s the best movie I’ve ever seen.”

When it’s time to leave the building, it’s also time to return to the real world. Father Willem: “My T-shirt can be taken off, I am now going to bring the children home safely.”

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour can be seen in cinemas until November 5. Only on Thursday to Sunday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KudedLV0tP0