It’s hard to put into words the kind of experience you have at a Taylor Swift concert, but I’ll try.

To be clear, this is not a review or an argument to persuade you into liking the performer – I’m sure you’ve already made your mind up on how you feel about Taylor, her music, and her current global domination. What I do want to share is the very unique experience I had at her Melbourne show, because it was unlike any other concert I’ve been to.

I went to her final Melbourne show of The Eras Tour on Sunday, February 18. When I was attempting to purchase tickets with friends many months ago, we missed out on pre-sale, as well as Taylor’s first and second shows, and there was a very real possibility we weren’t going to get through that awful ticketing system at all. And then by some divine miracle, we secured tickets to her third Melbourne show.

I still can’t believe how lucky I was to get a ticket to her concert because I know how many people missed out. So I attended it with an extreme awareness of my fortune and an immense sense of gratitude. And I think a lot of other attendees felt the same way. We were all looking around at each other with a gleeful grin, as if to say: is this real?

I’ve attended a Taylor Swift concert before – it was her 1989 tour in 2015. That was a very different time, and while she was incredibly famous back then, there wasn’t the Taylormania there is today. I recall getting tickets to her concert in 2015 was much easier (and far less stressful) and there wasn’t internet coverage of the show giving you a sneak peek ahead of seeing it yourself in person.

When I arrived at the stadium for The Eras Tour, it was a different vibe. I can only describe it as a sea of pink and glitter and sequins. So many sequins! I’ve never seen such a vibrant and colourful crowd. Of course I expected this, thanks to months of watching people on TikTok and Instagram planning and constructing outfits.

I think there was definitely pressure to have an outfit for this concert, and I found myself fretting over what to wear in the days leading up to the event because I hadn’t thought it through as seriously as others. But I don’t think having an outfit for this concert was about being competitive and outdoing the next person, it was more about being part of the collective experience.

As people were arriving at the venue, they were looking at each other in admiration and sharing smiles and nods to show how impressed they were with the creativity of each other’s outfits. And I think there was also acknowledgment of the shared effort; an understanding of sitting up late at night to fix sequins and diamantes to garments, to stitch dresses together, to come up with a look to reflect a commitment to the event.

Entering The Eras Tour was like stepping into an alternate universe where everyone was bursting with joy. I’ve never encountered such a warm, friendly and kind crowd. People were patient when queues were long; they apologised when they accidentally bumped into you; they were happy to take photos when you asked; they complimented each other’s outfits; they politely asked to trade friendship bracelets. I think it says a lot about an artist who can inspire this level of kindness in people.

It was also interesting to see the shift in demographic attending the concert compared to a decade ago, with far more younger women and girls in addition to the core Millennial group that has grown up alongside Taylor. While the crowd was mostly made up of women, it was wonderful to see dads alongside their daughters, husbands supporting wives, and same-sex couples enjoying the evening. During the show, Taylor expressed how glad she was for people to be there, whether they’d been listening to her music “for 15 years or 15 minutes”. That was her message: everyone was welcome.

The show itself was such an incredible reflection of Taylor’s career, and as a long-time Swiftie, I loved travelling back in time to listen to old favourites as well as newer hits. In many ways, it was an emotional rollercoaster listening to such a range of her music all in one night. I went from pure elation at the show’s opening with the Lover era, to sobbing uncontrollably to Marjorie from the more sombre era of Evermore, to feeling strong and confident during the Reputation set.

And this is one thing I’ve always said: no other music makes me feel the way Taylor’s music does. Her lyrics and melodies have always expressed aspects of life that feel so oddly specific and personal to me. I think there’s also no denying that sharing in the energy of 96,000 other people celebrating her music was bound to stir up some emotions. It felt like being on a completely personal journey while simultaneously feeling deeply understood by the biggest crowd I’ve ever been immersed in.

Only a couple of days after the concert, I’m still processing the entire experience. But one thing is for sure: we all took home a piece of magic with us after that show. There was magic in Taylor’s music, in her performance, and in the community she has brought together.

The night was flawless, and it’s one I’ll never forget. I hope everyone else who gets to experience The Eras Tour in the coming weeks and months finds it as transcendent as I did.