The canals were basically glittering. Honestly, if you walked through Amsterdam in early July 2024, you couldn’t escape it. The air smelled like stroopwafels and overpriced perfume, and every second person was draped in friendship bracelets that clacked like armor. Taylor Swift in Amsterdam wasn't just a concert stop; it was a total takeover of the Dutch capital.
Three nights. 165,000 people. One massive stadium that usually rings with football chants but was suddenly vibrating to the bridge of "Cruel Summer."
People flew from the States because it was literally cheaper to buy a plane ticket and a floor seat at the Johan Cruijff ArenA than to try and get into a show in Miami or New Orleans. Think about that. $400 for a prime spot in Amsterdam versus $2,000 in LA. The math was mathing for the "traveling Swifties," even if their bank accounts were screaming.
The Night Travis Kelce Almost Lost It
If you were there on Night 3, you saw it. Or you saw the grainy TikToks later.
Travis Kelce was in the VIP tent, and the man was going through it. He wasn't just "supporting"; he was visibly emotional. During a particularly soul-crushing mashup of "Mary’s Song," "So High School," and "Everything Has Changed," fans spotted him wiping away tears. Brittany Mahomes was literally comforting him.
It’s wild to think that a 250-pound NFL tight end was getting misty-eyed over a song Taylor wrote when she was fifteen, but that's the "Tay-effect."
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Taylor, being the "mastermind" she is, didn't let him off easy. She kept dropping the "Archer" pose—Travis’s signature move—during the Tortured Poets set. And yeah, she did the "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs" lyric swap. Every. Single. Night. The crowd roared so loud the roof probably shook, though most people were too busy screaming to notice if the acoustics were actually as bad as the locals claim.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Amsterdam Setlist
There’s this idea that every Eras Tour show is a carbon copy. Wrong.
By the time she hit Amsterdam, the Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) had completely gutted and rebuilt the show. Gone were "The Archer" and "Long Live"—much to the genuine heartbreak of the "Speak Now" stans. Instead, we got the "Female Rage: The Musical" segment.
Seeing "Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?" live in that arena was haunting. The staging involves her floating on a roomba-like platform that makes her look like she’s gliding on water. It’s eerie. It’s theatrical. It’s nothing like the glittery vibes of the "Lover" era that opens the show.
The "folkmore" mashup was another point of contention. Some fans hated that folklore and evermore were merged. They felt the pacing was rushed. But honestly? Seeing 55,000 Dutch fans go silent for the "champagne problems" bridge before erupting into a three-minute standing ovation? That’s not rushed. That’s a religious experience.
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The Surprise Song Chaos
The acoustic set is where Taylor gets "tricksy," as she puts it. Amsterdam got some absolute gems:
- Night 1: A mashup of "Guilty as Sin?" and "Untouchable."
- Night 2: "Imgonegonegone" (just kidding, it was "Fresh Out The Slammer" mixed with "High Infidelity").
- Night 3: The aforementioned Travis-themed mega-mashup that basically broke the internet.
The "Swiftnomics" of the Dam
The city made bank. Period.
Economists like Walther Ploos van Amstel estimated the tour brought in about 30 million euros to Amsterdam. Hotels were at 98% occupancy. If you didn't book a room six months in advance, you were either staying in a hostel ten miles away or paying for a luxury suite that cost more than a used car.
Local businesses leaned in hard. You had "Swiftie brunches," themed canal cruises, and shops selling out of sequins faster than they could restock. Even the transit system felt the heat. The Sprinter trains to Bijlmer ArenA were packed with people wearing heart-shaped glitter around their eyes, looking exhausted but weirdly triumphant.
The Reality of the Johan Cruijff ArenA
Look, the ArenA is iconic, but it has quirks.
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Because the sun stays up so late in a Dutch summer, the first half of the show happens in broad daylight. You lose some of the "theatrics" of the light show during "Fearless" and "Red." Taylor acknowledged it, though. She seemed more relaxed in Amsterdam—less "on" for the cameras than she was during the filmed LA shows, and more like she was actually having a conversation with the crowd.
One tip if you're ever heading there for a big gig: bring earplugs. The echo in that place is notorious. Some fans on Reddit complained the sound was "mushy" in the upper tiers, but on the floor? It was crisp enough to hear every "1, 2, 3, LGB!" chant clearly.
Survival Guide for Major Concerts in Amsterdam
If you're planning to catch a massive show here in the future, don't just wing it.
- Don't Camp: The city is strict. Camping at the arena is banned. People who tried to pitch tents for Taylor were moved along pretty quickly by the Politie.
- Use the Train: Seriously. Driving to the Bijlmer area during a stadium event is a death wish for your sanity. The train from Centraal is 15 minutes. Use it.
- Bike if You Dare: It’s the most Amsterdam way to arrive, but remember where you parked. Finding one black Swapfiets among 5,000 others at 11:00 PM while coming down from a "Karma" high is a nightmare.
- Hydrate: The arena gets hot. Even with the roof partially open, 55,000 bodies generate a lot of heat.
The legacy of Taylor Swift in Amsterdam isn't just the ticket sales or the celebrity cameos. It's the way the city felt for those seventy-two hours. It was a fever dream of friendship bracelets and Dutch directness. Whether you're a die-hard fan or someone who just knows "Shake It Off," you have to admit: she knows how to throw a party that a whole country feels.
The best way to relive the magic is to keep an eye on the official tour photos from Nathan Dobbelaere or check the fan-recorded livestreams that still haunt YouTube. They might be shaky, but they capture the energy of a city that, for three nights, was the center of the pop culture universe.