Taylor Swift achieved an unprecedented cultural and economic milestone with the Eras Tour, making history and earning $2 billion. Now, she’s offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came together.
A new six-episode documentary series, The End of an Era, premiered its first two episodes on Disney+ on Friday, just before Swift’s 36th birthday. The series had plenty to explain from the start: What was the story behind the cleaning cart that transported Swift to the stage? What happened in the pre-show huddle? And most of all, how did she manage to pull off such an elaborate production? The tour’s cinematic sets, spectacular dance numbers, special guests, and the sheer endurance required for Swift and her team to perform a three-and-a-half-hour show 149 times—spanning years of her career—is truly mind-boggling.
Ultimately, the Disney+ series serves as a tribute to the dancers, backup singers, production crew, musicians, and everyone else who brought Swift’s vision to life, while also highlighting the emotional highs and lows Swift experienced throughout the tour.
“This show created a bonding experience for, like, 70,000 people all at once. There’s something very special about that,” Swift says in the series’ trailer. “I wanted to over-serve the fans in terms of the amount of songs they were gonna hear, and how far I was gonna push myself.”
Watch the trailer below, and read on for the revelations—big and small—that caught our attention in the first two episodes of The End of an Era.
1. The Eras Tour was a family affair
The series highlights Swift’s choreographers and backup dancers, including Mandy Moore, Amanda Balen, and Kameron Saunders, showcasing the close-knit, familial dynamic of the team. Swift mentions that her friend Emma Stone recommended Moore as a choreographer, calling her the best of the best. We also learn about the challenges Saunders faced as a plus-size dancer and witness an emotional moment between him and his mom, where he credits her unwavering love for enabling him to pursue his dreams.
2. Travis Kelce always brightens Swift’s mood
In one scene, Swift enjoys a sweet phone call with her fiancé, Travis Kelce, while in a car. They discuss the similarities in their careers. “You got teammates, I got teammates,” he tells her. “You’ve got Coach Reid, I’ve got my mom,” Swift jokes. After the call, she appears instantly happier and more relaxed. Swift remarks, “Some people get a vitamin drip, I got this conversation.”
3. Even Swift’s friends get a little starstruck sometimes
It’s delightful to watch Florence Welch prepare to join Swift onstage in London to perform “Florida!!!” Welch says, “The feeling of coming up for the first time in the lift was kind of like landing on Mars.” She admits that even as an accomplished pop star herself, she was overwhelmed by the experience. “Taylor’s my friend and I know her as this cozy person, but I came out and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, it’s fuckin’ Taylor Swift!’”
4. She listens to audiobooks on tour
At one point, Swift experiences a “very physical reaction” to her nerves before a show—her first performance after several were canceled due to a thwarted terrorist plot in Austria and an attack on children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England. To calm herself, she listens to an audiobook. After some detective work, we believe the book is the bestselling thriller The God of the Woods by Liz Moore.
5. The tour was born out of two difficult experiences
Swift explains that having her masters sold without her consent and living through the pandemic inspired the Eras Tour. Revisiting her old albums for the “Taylor’s Version” recordings reconnected her with different chapters of her life and inspired her to create a tour that would celebrate them all.
6. It took spy-level secrecy to pull it off
The documentary reveals the extreme measures taken to keep the tour’s details under wraps, including code names, secure communication, and limited access to information, ensuring that surprises remained surprises until showtime.Taylor Swift loves a secret, as she explains in the documentary. While secretly working on her album The Tortured Poets Department, she wanted to weave hints of it into her tour without alerting fans. The film reveals some of the tactics she used to maintain the mystery: rehearsing choreography in silence, blocking out routines in a hidden hotel ballroom, and having bandmates practice using only the PA system.
She also personally sealed her team’s bonuses with wax. After reportedly giving her tour crew $197 million in bonuses, Swift is shown preparing handwritten notes for them and carefully dripping hot wax to seal each one herself. She may have risked setting off a smoke alarm, but the thoughtful gesture was clearly worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Taylor Swifts The End of an Era Documentary
Beginner General Questions
1 What is The End of an Era documentary about
Its a new documentary series that offers an intimate behindthescenes look at the final leg of Taylor Swifts recordbreaking Eras Tour focusing on the personal and creative process behind the massive production
2 Where can I watch it
The documentary is streaming exclusively on Swifts official platform Taylordle
3 Do I need to have seen the Eras Tour to understand it
Not at all While fans of the tour will get extra insight the documentary is designed to be a compelling story about artistry endurance and closing a major chapter accessible to both casual viewers and dedicated fans
4 What are the main themes so far
The first two episodes heavily focus on exhaustion and reflection the emotional weight of ending the tour and the meticulous handson creative control Taylor maintains over every detail
Advanced Detailed Questions
5 What was the most surprising takeaway about her creative process
The documentary reveals that Swift is deeply involved in technical aspects far beyond songwriting such as editing cinematic trailer sequences herself and making lastminute precise adjustments to choreography and staging
6 How does the documentary address her past rerecording projects
It frames the Eras Tour as the final triumphant liveaction chapter of that reclaiming her narrative era showing how performing the old songs now feels empowering and conclusive rather than conflicted
7 What does it suggest about her future
While celebrating the past the episodes strongly hint at a creative turning point The end of this era is portrayed as a necessary closure to make space for new artistic directions with hints about what she might be leaving behind
8 Is there a focus on her collaborators
Yes but through her lens We see her working closely with choreographer Mandy Moore and musical director David Cook highlighting her role as a collaborative but decisive visionary leader
Practical Tips Common Questions
9 Will there be spoilers for the tour movie
The documentary focuses more on the backstage journey emotions