Taylor Swift surprises KC for Eras Tour Night 1, fans prepare for more

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Are you ready for it?

Night 2 of the Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is tonight on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Friday’s show was filled with surprises, so we’ll have our eyes peeled for Easter eggs, celebrity appearances and more.

Our journalists will be bringing you live coverage here on KansasCity.com, Instagram, TikTok and Threads. Read through coverage from last night and check back later for full coverage of Saturday’s show beginning around 6 p.m.

‘1, 2, 3... let’s go!’

The hype over the national tour began last fall when the Swifties’ mad rush to secure tickets crashed Ticketmaster. The Eras Tour officially began in March with two nights in Glendale, Ariz., and now it’s finally Kansas City’s turn.

Anyone can get in the spirit with one of these Taylor-themed events or some delicious Eras Tour treats. But make sure you watch out for heavy traffic and several road closures over the weekend.

If you’re going to the concerts, make sure you check out the best tips on how to tailgate, what to bring and when to get merch. For more insider advice, we hit up a die-hard Swiftie on the best way to dress, the best time for a bathroom break and more.

One of the most talked-about parts of Swift’s Eras tour has been her surprise songs, two tracks from her discography that she adds to the 44-song set list for each show. We mapped out the eligible tracks, KC Swifties’ favorites and the rest of the usual set list.

For other fun reads before you head out, take a look at Swift’s past KC concerts, learn about the opening acts and study up on the most popular chants you’ll hear.

World premiere of music video for ‘I Can See You (Taylor’s Version)‘

The audience at Arrowhead stadium were the first people to see the world premiere of the music video for “I Can See You” — one of the vault tracks from “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”

The music video stars Joey King, Presley Cash (a Missouri native), and Taylor’s ex Taylor Lautner.

“Missouri its so good to be home!“ Cash screamed. “I love you all so much.”

Taylor Launter did back flips down the stage as he was introduced to the screaming crowd at Arrowhead.

“By the way, I didn’t plan the flip!” he said. “We had so much fun making this video. Thank you for having all of us.”

“I respect you so much,” Lautner told Swift. “Not for the singer you are or the songwriter you are, but truly for the human you are. You are kind and it is an honor to know you.”

Joey King added: “The original thing he was going to say was just, ‘Let’s Go Chiefs’”

The music video was followed by two acoustic surprise songs: “Never Grow Up“ and “When Emma Falls in Love (Taylor’s Version),” which was from her vault. She skipped “Tim McGraw” and “mirrorball” from her usual set list.

The show ended around 11:45 p.m. Kansas City police said they issued a few minor trespassing warnings, but there were no other issues.

A “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)“ surprise

Taylor Swift promised fans at Arrowhead that she had a few special tricks up her sleeves to celebrate the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).“ Halfway through the set list she delivered.

It was purple as far as the eye could see inside of Arrowhead.

Swift emerged in a brand new purple ball gown that has not been seen on the Eras Tour before. Fans were screaming and crying throughout the stadium.

She performed “Enchanted,” which is her standard “Speak Now” song selection. Followed by “Long Live” as a surprise song, which Swift performed on the famed koi fish guitar that was removed earlier this week from its home in the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum in Nashville.

‘We love Taylor. We love Kansas City!’

From the opening acts Gracie Abrams and MUNA to Taylor Swift’s 3-hour long performance, we are keeping track of the set lists song-by-song.

A chance to hear ‘22’ up close and personal

When Ashton Reynolds, a security guard with Landmark Security Services, got an email asking if he’d work the Taylor Swift concert at Arrowhead Stadium, he was beyond excited.

“Some of my go-to karaoke songs are Taylor Swift,” he said. Tonight, he’s excited to hear “22” up close and personal. He’s supposed to face the crowd, but he said he isn’t too bothered — he’s got a good view of the big screen.

Just happy to be at Arrowhead

Emma Breheny scored tickets on Thursday when a friend was scouting on Facebook and found someone unable to go and selling his tickets.

Breheny said she’s been a fan since fifth grade and is now a college sophomore. She and her mom drove from Des Moines at the last minute and were happy to be enjoying the show from the last row.

A few sections over, but also in the back row, Hillary Duckham and her husband said they just felt fortunate just to have gotten tickets. The St. Louis couple drove to Kansas City earlier Friday. Duckham said she was hoping to hear more from “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” especially a From the Vault song.

Will Taylor Swift take home more Chiefs swag?

You just know that Taylor Swift cannot pack Arrowhead Stadium — home of the Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs — for two nights and leave town without some team swag. Come on, now.

She already has a jersey.

When she brought her 1989 World Tour to the Sprint Center in September 2015, Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel gave her a red jersey.

“Thank you @taylorswift for being so generous & hosting us at your sold out show last night in KC! It was amazing,” Daniel wrote on Instagram that year.

“Of course, we had to give Taylor her own T. Swift 89 @chiefs jersey for the 1989 World Tour! @hillarydaniel.”

This time around, it could be Gracie Hunt, daughter of Chiefs CEO and owner Clark Hunt, who would send her home with KC goodies.

Hunt, who has been posting family vacation photos on her social media the last few weeks, posted a photo of herself Friday evening dressed for the concert at Arrowhead.

Swift fans have said they would love to see Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the concerts.

But he and his family are also vacationing. (Though private jets are sure handy to have at times like this.)

Fan checks out of hospital to get to show

Amy Long, 18, flew from Boston on Thursday, but when she landed in Kansas City, her stomach began hurting. The pain in her kidney area worsened and she and her sister-in-law Blair Long decided to get her to the emergency room.

Once there, the doctors gave her some medication, but told her she should be admitted, meaning she would miss the concert. The doctor tried to console her by saying at least she would get a good price for reselling the ticket.

“Sir, you misunderstood,” Blair Long said.

Amy Long was discharged at noon, got ready and arrived at Arrowhead with a sign recounting her ordeal - and dedication. Swift’s show Friday is the first for both of them. And Amy Long said she was feeling fine shortly before getting in line to get into the arena.

Union Station raffling Taylor Swift speed portrait by Miss Kansas

It took speed painter Annika Wooton less than 45 minutes this week to paint a portrait of Taylor Swift in the Grand Hall at Union Station, where throngs of Swift fans are gathering to take pictures with a new Eras Tour lighted marquee.

The crowds watched Wooton, a former Miss Kansas turned motivational speaker and pageant coach, mix paints and create a 3-foot-by-4-foot likeness of the singer. Ever the pageant pro, Wooton worked in a dress and high heels.

She herself is a self-professed Swiftie, according to Union Station’s Facebook page.

The painting will be raffled online to raise money for upgrades to Union Station’s Planetarium, where laser Taylor Swift tributes have been selling out fast. The money will also help bring youth from underserved communities to the theater.

A raffle entry costs $10.The raffle closes at 8 a.m. Monday, July 10. The winner will be drawn at random and notified Monday. The painting can’t be shipped so the winner will have to pick it up at Union Station.

Entries and donations can be made at here.

Taylor-gating at Arrowhead

Fans in all kinds of bright, glittery outfits are streaming into Arrowhead Stadium as others wait in long lines at the merch truck stretching around the stadium. Some are “Taylor-gating” in the parking lot.

Chelsea McDonald, of Kansas City, came to the show with her boyfriend and four friends who set up a table, chairs and grill as they waited for the doors to open. McDonald attended the opening show in Arizona, but said Swift’s tour evolves and she is in a different section so she will have a different view this time.

See how Kansas City Taylor Swift ticket prices changed in the hours before Eras Tour show

She showed off more than a dozen friendship bracelets she had made. Danielle and Nathan Locey, of Topeka, erected a Taylor Swift 2024 flag near their car.

Friendship bracelets, commonly traded at Taylor Swift concerts, are inspired by a line in the song “You’re On Your Own Kid.”

Some fans took a craftier approach to their outfit, like Olivia Hovey from Omaha, who thrifted a purple jacket blazer and went to work bedazzling its collar and back with lyrics from girl power pump-up song “The Man.”

“I relate a lot to that song,” she said, striking a pose.

While fans waited to enter, a group of parents enjoyed a night out “Taylor-gating” in the parking lot. The group grilled hotdogs and sipped drinks minutes before the doors opened.

One of the parents, Alissa Peters, said she’s curious whether Taylor will switch up her set for the new album release.

“We’re just happy to be here and to have paid normal price for our tickets,” she said.

Kent Spitz, of Shawnee, is a regular tailgater during the football season. His set up includes a large canopy and even a portable bathroom tent.

“I can tailgate a Chiefs game so I can tailgate Taylor,” he said as he flipped burgers on a grill near his car.

He and about 10 other family members gathered around the table under the canopy where a Taylor cake from Dolce bakery and a flower centerpiece added to the festive atmosphere, which was more pink than red for this event.

See how Kansas City Taylor Swift ticket prices changed in the hours before Eras Tour show

Kansas City welcoming international Swifties

If Friday’s crowd is any indication, Taylor Swift attracts a wide age range of fans. Lydia, 13, and Caydence, 14, traded friendship bracelets in line with a few other young fans as their moms supervised nearby.

Caydence traveled all the way from Canada for the show. At first, she was going to dress up as her favorite era “Reputation.” She and her mom found a green sparkly jacket and bedazzled it themselves, cutting out a snake print and other details.

When “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” was announced, she switched it up and wore a purple dress to show her support.“

When Speak Now was announced, me and my mom had just made the jacket … so I decided to just bring it,” she said, holding it out.

Kansas City ride services are booked solid by Taylor Swift fans in need of a ‘Getaway Car’

‘She’s only with me for my last name’

Light raindrops fell around 3 p.m. as Swifties stood in line for tickets and merchandise. Swift’s latest album, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” dropped at midnight and is the inspiration behind many fans’ purple, glittery outfits.

While the crowd appears overwhelmingly female, a few boyfriends showed their support, like Phillip Swift from St. Louis. He wears a custom shirt in honor of his super fan girlfriend Anna Kuhnerg, donning a glittery dress inspired by the “Midnights” album.

Phillip Swift’s shirt reads, “She’s only with me for my last name.” Unfortunately, he’s unaware of any family relation to the famous singer.

“I did ask him that myself,” Kuhnerg said.

In addition to bejeweled dresses and Miss Americana sashes, fans donned an array of creative T-shirts: “Swiftie by marriage,” “It’s me, hi, I’m the dad, it’s me,” “When in doubt, what would Tay Tay do?”

“I love Kansas.” — Taylor Swift, 2009

Anyone who has listened to “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” knows that Swift’s childhood bestie is named Abigail. Abigail Anderson, to be exact. In “Fifteen,” Swift simultaneously mourns and celebrates their high school innocence.

“You sit in class next to a red-head named Abigail/And soon enough you’re best friends”

Anderson is who ultimately brought Swift to Lawrence and the University of Kansas’ campus one fateful day in August 2009. Then a sophomore at KU, Anderson was a swim star who regularly broke school records in the pool.

Check out some throwback photos of the star and her bestie here.

Also, hear Swift talk about Kansas in this video clip.

“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)“

Friday is a special day on the Eras Tour: “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)“ was released at midnight. And it is widely suspected that the release will make the Kansas City Eras Tour shows unlike other stops.

Swift’s re-recordings are highly anticipated by fans. “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)“ is the singer-songwriter’s third re-release since 2019 when she announced she would re-record her albums to own her masters outright.

Released in 2010, “Speak Now” was Swift’s sophomore album from her country music era. It was a defining album for Swift and many of her fans who could see themselves in the lyrics.

“I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness,” Swift wrote on Instagram announcing the re-release. “I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing … and living to speak about it.”

The new 22-song album includes all of the tracks from the original “Speak Now” album and six other tracks that were written during the album’s original era but not recorded until recently. Fall Out Boy and Paramore’s Hayley Williams are among the guest appearances on the album.

Taylor Nation, the social media accounts run by Swift’s PR team, tweeted Thursday afternoon encouraging fans to wear their best outfits inspired by “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)“ to the Kansas City shows. Expect to see plenty of purple filling the stands at Arrowhead this weekend.

What’s in our stadium bag?

Heading to Arrowhead for the Eras Tour concert? Make sure you follow the stadium’s bag policies and pack your must-haves.

• Per NFL regulations, bags larger than a clutch must be see-through and must not exceed 12-by-12-by-6 inches. Clear fanny packs are not allowed.

• Don’t bring outside food and drink into the stadium. Only one factory-sealed water bottle, 20 ounces or less, per person is permitted.

• Digital and disposable cameras are allowed only if they are less than 6 inches in length and do not have a case.

Read more about what you can and cannot bring to the concert here and watch this video for more information.

Will Kansas City Swifties get to ‘dance in the pouring rain’?

Fans flocking to Arrowhead Stadium for the Kansas City stop of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour might want to prepare for a little rain Friday night — just in case.

Although the forecast is trending a bit drier than what was originally anticipated, there remains a chance for scattered showers in the metro area, said Scott Blair, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Kansas City.

“So it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared and bring a light rain jacket just in case one of those scattered showers does happen to drift across parts of Kansas City,” Blair said.

Read more about the forecast from The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton.

Kansas City (Taylor’s Version)

City governments, Mayor Q, businesses, museums and wheat fields around the Kansas City metro are decked out in purple to celebrate Taylor Swift’s arrival. Lots are sharing special art installations or Taylor-themed foods, but others like The Cherry Bomb Tattoo Co. in Lee’s Summit are offering Swifties something a little more permanent.

Here are a few of the celebrations shared on social media:

Swifties did call out Union Station for missing the mark on their joke. “Respectfully, it’s Taylor’s Version,” one fan replied. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Zoo is getting high marks for their polar bear statue that is dressed in a purple skirt for “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)“ and decked out in friendship bracelets.