Taylor Swift reflects on the darkest moments of the Eras Tour in new docuseries

Taylor Swift has opened up about the fear and anxiety she experienced during the Eras Tour in the premiere episode of her new Disney+ docuseries The End of an Era.

The six-part series, which began streaming on Friday, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the global tour and reveals how Swift coped with serious security threats that overshadowed parts of its European leg in 2024.

Inside the unseen fear behind the Eras Tour

In previously unseen footage from the first episode, Swift becomes emotional as she reflects on a thwarted terrorist plot linked to her planned concerts in Vienna, as well as a separate deadly attack involving children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Liverpool.

The Vienna shows were cancelled after Austrian authorities arrested suspects accused of planning an attack on concertgoers. Although Swift went ahead with her tour dates in London shortly afterwards, the episode shows that she approached those performances with heightened fear and uncertainty.

In the documentary, Swift says she never imagined the tour would be associated with such threats, describing it as something far greater than a series of concerts and acknowledging the responsibility she felt towards her fans.

Carrying on for the fans

The episode also reveals that Swift met privately with survivors of the Liverpool attack ahead of her London shows, although those meetings were not filmed. Cameras capture her preparing herself emotionally before meeting the families, determined to remain composed despite her distress.

Despite the anxiety shown on screen, Swift explains that once she steps on stage, she focuses on maintaining calm and confidence for the audience. She compares the role to that of a pilot reassuring passengers during turbulence, emphasising that fans should never feel her fear while attending a show.

By the end of the premiere, Swift returns her focus to the joy she sees in her audiences, describing the Eras Tour as a space where a wide range of emotions can coexist. She says that sense of shared experience is what gives the performances their power.

When do new episodes of The End of an Era drop?

The first two episodes of The End of an Era debuted on Disney+ on December 12, with the remaining episodes set to roll out in weekly two-episode drops.

An exclusive preview broadcast, featuring episode one of the docuseries alongside an hour-long presentation of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show, will also air on ABC on December 12 at 8 p.m. ET.

Full release schedule for The End of an Era

• Episode 1: December 12
• Episode 2: December 12
• Episode 3: December 19
• Episode 4: December 19
• Episode 5: December 26
• Episode 6: December 26