Five bonus songs and a running time to match Oppenheimer: what’s the big deal about Taylor Swift on Disney+?

Why is Taylor Swift all over my Disney+ home page?

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie has come to streaming, with Disney reportedly paying $75 million for worldwide rights.

Do people really enjoy concert movies?

Well, it’s much cheaper than going to a live music event. An entire year’s Disney+ subscription is less than the price of many concert tickets. Disney+ will set you back €109.90 annually – and good luck trying to find a ticket for the three dates of Swift’s Eras Tour at the Aviva Stadium this summer. Even if you did manage, they would set you back a small fortune.

It’s not the same as being there, though, is it?

Yes, there will be no queues, no Portaloos, and no reliance on Irish public transport, where the timetable is an optional extra and the greatest hit is the ghost bus that never shows.

I’ve already seen it in the cinema. Why watch again?

Swift has a tradition of re-releasing older material with new extras and The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) is no exception. The Disney release features five bonus songs – Cardigan from Folklore (aka the Swift album all the hipsters love) – plus a section of new acoustic tracks.

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Are they any good?

I Can See You recently appeared on the expanded re-release of Speak Now and is fantastic. The other new performances are also solid, though the running time is now an Oppenheimer-esque three and a half hours.

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That’s quite apocalyptic. Who could sit through a concert movie that long?

Well, the theatrical release of The Eras Tour was 10 minutes shy of three hours, but that didn’t prevent it from becoming a huge hit. It generated $261 million at the box office, making it the highest-earning concert film ever.

What’s the appeal?

First, there is the Swift factor. The Eras Tour is hugely oversubscribed, so the concert film is an opportunity for fans to experience it, albeit at a distance. It’s also very well directed by Sam Wrench, who has previously overseen concert movies by Lizzo and Billie Eilish (and Mumford and Sons, but let’s not hold that against him). Obviously, it isn’t the same as being there, but the scale and excitement of the show at LA’s SoFi stadium really does come across on screen.

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Oh well. I suppose that’s the last we’ll hear from Swift for the time being ...

She’s just getting started. The Eras Tour comes to Europe this summer, including three Aviva Stadium dates in June. She’s also got a new album on the way – The Tortured Poets Department, the title of which hints at a “Dark Academia” vibe (think Dead Poets Society meets Donna Tartt’s The Secret History). So, if last year was Taylor’s Year, this could well be the Summer of Swift.