Only 42 days to go. On May 9th, Taylor Swift will launch the European leg of her record-breaking tour “The Eras Tour”. Excitingly, it’s in Paris La Défense Arena that the pop superstar will be performing for four exceptional concerts until May 12th. This is a truly special event as it marks her first true show in France since her performance at the Zénith in 2011. Fans are eagerly anticipating her first dates following the release of her new album “The Tortured Poets Department” on April 19. The big question on everyone’s mind is whether Taylor Swift will add a section dedicated to this new album in her already 3-hour long concert? The 40,000 lucky ticket holders will find out on the evening of May 9th.
The arrival of Taylor Swift in France is such a big event that it has led to some challenges. Starting with the price of hotels, which has skyrocketed in every city she visits. In Lyon, where she will have two concerts at the Groupama Stadium on June 2nd and 3rd, hotel prices have gone up by 54%! In Paris, another setback awaits the local audience. A section of the RER A train line will be interrupted from May 8th to 12th, coinciding with Taylor Swift’s four concerts at Paris La Défense Arena. The Chatou-Croissy station will be completely closed, meaning spectators wanting to attend the concert via Saint-Germain-en-Laye or Le Vésinet, or those trying to get home, will not be able to since the terminus of the RER A will be at Rueil-Malmaison. They will have to take a special substitution bus or walk!
This interruption has frustrated some fans who are wondering how they will be able to get to Paris La Défense Arena or get back home. “This is a joke”, “Oh no!! It’s right on my RER line!!”, “The choice of the date for the works… PÉCRESSE!!!” vented some on X / Twitter while others pointed out that the dates for the works are determined well in advance. This situation is reminiscent of the RER B interruption on the weekends of concerts held at the Stade de France in the summer of 2022. While shows by Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, or Indochine went on as scheduled, Soprano had to postpone his concert to the summer of 2023 due to the impossibility for spectators to come and go from the stadium using the RER B, which was closed for maintenance.
