"When Taylor Swift first announced The Eras Tour, my husband and I thought briefly about attempting to snag enough tickets for our entire family—a family that, at the time, included a set of 4-year-old twins.
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My kids were just starting to get into a few of Swift’s songs at the time (Anti-Hero was an early favorite), and we briefly debated taking them along to the show with us. It didn’t take long for us to decide against it. Shelling out lots of money on tickets to take two young kids to a loud, highly stimulating environment felt like a bad idea all around. We knew that keeping them up late, trying to protect their little ears from the excessive concert noise, and holding on to them in a highly crowded environment just wasn’t in their best interest. So, I opted to go without them.
But throughout my time at The Eras Tour, I found myself thinking, “I wish I could experience this night alongside my kids.” I didn’t see many littles who looked as young as my own, but I did see lots of moms (and Swiftie dads!) with their kids. I wanted to share that experience—my kids’ first concert, which would also be for an artist I love as well—as a family. After the show, I even briefly considered attempting to source tickets for the four of us for the following night’s show in my city… before remembering how absolutely absurd resale prices were.
“Throughout my time at The Eras Tour, I found myself thinking, ‘I wish I could experience this night alongside my kids.'”
And then I realized something: The area outside the stadium was packed with fans, many of them young Swifties. There were people singing along to the music, which you could clearly hear outside the stadium… and while they couldn’t see the show, they could feel its magic. No one was policing that area outside; it seemed like completely fair game to “Taygate” and listen to the show without actually entering the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. It just felt like the perfect way for my kids to enjoy The Eras Tour.
Taking My Kids to Taygate Outside The Eras Tour
For one thing, we didn’t have to worry about navigating a packed stadium, and the distance from the stage meant the noise would be more manageable, too. We also didn’t have to shell out wild amounts of money on resale tickets and knew we could leave whenever the kids began getting tired.
If you’ve attended a show, you know that it’s about more than just Swift’s performance (which is, of course, mesmerizing). It’s the subculture she created: The sparkly Eras outfits, the friendship bracelets, the incredible celebration of girlhood and feminine power. This show is so worth attending, even if you can’t get inside the stadium, simply because the energy is so palpable (I truly felt like The Eras Tour transformed the energy of my entire city).
My kids were completely awestruck (or… wonderstruck?) when we approached the stadium. They loved the people-watching and the fun outfits and just absolutely lit up every time a teenager approached them to trade friendship bracelets. They sang, they danced, they interacted with others, and they both came away from the show with new favorite Taylor Swift songs (You Belong With Me for my daughter, Ready for It for my son).
And for me? Experiencing part of The Eras Tour with my kids was one of the most special and fun things I’ve done as a mom. If location and weather permitting, I would highly suggest Tay-gating, or attending a Taylor Swift-themed event near you if you can’t attend the actual show.
Is Tay-Gating and Tailgating Allowed at The Eras Tour 2024?
Unfortunately with the security concerns after the canceled Eras Tour concert in Austria, there will not be as many options to Taygate during the final dates of The Eras Tour. Plus, many of Swift’s North American dates will be in the colder months, so if the weather or the venue won’t allow you to be right outside the stadium, I’d suggest searching for nearby events to celebrate the concert’s stop in your nearest city. If nothing else, I’d suggest going to a restaurant (or, if you’re sans kids, a bar) near your local stadium to soak up some of the energy of the crowds. You will likely be in great company if you decide to dress up in a Swift-inspired ‘fit and rock lots of friendship bracelets. Here are some options for the upcoming dates of The Eras Tour:
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Dates: Dates: October 18-20, 2024
Tay-Gating/Tailgating Guidelines: According to the Miami Herald, “there will be no Tay-gating at the Hard Rock shows, meaning there’s no place for ticketless fans to commune outside the stadium.” The venue confirmed that fans without tickets will not be permitted to gather anywhere around or outside Hard Rock Stadium to listen to the concert. However, traditional tailgating is permitted in the Hard Rock Stadium parking lots only for fans with a prepaid parking pass and valid concert ticket for that same night.
Families without tickets to The Eras Tour could check out the Miami Children’s Museum’s Swifties Day Out event on Saturday, October 19, for friendship bracelet making, face-painting, and a dance party.
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Dates: Oct. 25-27
Tay-Gating/Tailgating Guidelines: A local radio station is hosting a ticketed TaylorGate event before the show with bracelet making/swapping, hair be-dazzling, face painting, music, and more. Since the venue is covered, Tay-gaters will likely not be able to hear the concert outside the stadium.
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Dates: Nov. 1-3
Tay-Gating/Tailgating Guidelines: Onsite tailgating is not available at Lucas Oil Stadium, but Taygating is available in some parking lots near the stadium—but locals advise these will fill up quickly. According to the Indy Star, Indianapolis is also having many local events on each day of her concert including kid-friendly events like the Swiftie Par-TAY at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Dates: Nov. 14-16, Nov. 21-23
Tay-Gating/Tailgating Guidelines: Toronto is hosting a ticketed family-friendly Taylgate on all six nights of The Eras Tour at an indoor venue Metro Toronto Convention Centre, near the Rogers Centre for little fans without tickets to The Eras Tour to get in on the excitement.
BC Place, Vancouver
Dates: Dec. 6-8
Tay-Gating/Tailgating Guidelines: It’s currently unclear if there will be Tay-Gating or tailgating allowed at The Eras Tour in Vancouver. Check the stadium’s website closer to the concert date.
Tips for Attending a TayGate Experience
When it comes to Tay-gating, every city and stadium setup is a little different. But here’s how it worked for us: We packed a bag full of snacks and water bottles, took some blankets to sit on, threw in kids’ headphones in case things got loud, and brought as many friendship bracelets as possible.
What to wear
You can certainly dress up in honor of the show if you want to, or you can opt for ease and comfort. I went for a simple dress, sneakers, lots of friendship bracelets, and the oversized Eras Tour sweatshirt I purchased the night before tied around my waist, then worn as the evening got chillier. Many people at the Taygate outside the stadium went all out, while others were dressed very casually; at this show, anything goes.
What to eat
My family opted to go out to dinner at a restaurant near the stadium before the Taygate, which was a great decision: We found parking (in a nearby garage) well ahead of time, and the restaurants surrounding the stadium all pulled out all the stops to celebrate the concert. There were decorations, drink specials, and lots of Swifties dressed up for the show. We began trading friendship bracelets right there at dinner. This was a great way for my kids to get excited about what was to come (and fill up their bellies with mac and cheese!).
What to pack
As for the Taygate itself, things felt very informal, at least at my city’s show. We just found an empty spot in the grass, set up our blankets, pulled out snacks, and did a bit of mingling (and bracelet-trading) with nearby fans. There were some families with kids, lots of teenagers who were very eager to trade bracelets, and plenty of adult Swifties who were all so kind and welcoming.
Final Thoughts on Tay-Gating With My Kids
We all know how amazing it feels to watch your children experience true happiness, and that’s what I got to witness that night. But it also went beyond that: For me—and, I think, so many other parents out there—Taylor Swift is one of the few things they and their kids can get equally excited about. Swift has a rare, powerful multigenerational appeal: While many of us millennials love some of her more, mature, (sometimes angsty) work, our kids may love the more whimsical songs. But it’s also the brand of Swift that’s so multifaceted and so accessible to parents and kids alike.
Swift is not just an icon because of her songwriting chops, her unparalleled work ethic, or her commercial appeal. It’s also about the multitudes she represents: She’s at once feminine and strong, two things we’ve been conditioned to believe are diametric opposites. Yet Swift puts the truth on full display: She unapologetically embraces sparkles and pretty dresses and friendship bracelets—all the things we’ve been told are juvenile and silly and frivolous—yet she also stands fully in power in every way. It’s not just about the billionaire status or the absolute chokehold she has over the pop music landscape, it’s also the way she stands up for herself at every turn.
“She unapologetically embraces sparkles and pretty dresses and friendship bracelets—all the things we’ve been told are juvenile and silly and frivolous—yet she also stands fully in power in every way.”
Though a certain viral op-ed questioned her worthiness as a role model, I’d say Swift is arguably one of the strongest symbols of feminine power out there today. There’s a moment in the show when Swift sings All Too Well (10-Minute Version), which includes the line “F the patriarchy”—I can’t quite explain what it feels like to witness thousands and thousands of friendship-bracelet-clad arms thrust into the air as a stadium packed with people shouts the line in unison.
Speaking of the influence Swift has over her audience, let’s talk about how wonderfully wholesome the entire Eras Tour experience is. I’ve never felt so safe at a large-scale gathering, and that was a huge part of why I felt comfortable taking my kids. There was no chaos, no fighting, no mess, no destruction… it was just an inclusive, welcoming, respectful community of people gathering to celebrate an icon and all she’s come to represent. And all the things she represents? Those are things I want my kids to witness, to absorb, and to claim for themselves. And I think their Eras Tour Taygate experience allowed them to do just that.
Zara Hanawalt, Contributing Writer
Zara is a twin mom and freelance journalist with over a decade of experience covering parenting, women’s health, and culture. In addition to The Everymom, she’s written for outlets like Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Parents, Shape, Motherly, The New York Times for Kids, What to Expect, and many others. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, travel, watching TV, and trying new restaurants.