The Red Tour

"Red Tour" redirects here. For the Album Leaf EP, see The Album Leaf.

The Red Tour was the third concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fourth studio album, Red (2012). It began in Omaha, Nebraska, on March 13, 2013, and concluded in Singapore, on June 12, 2014. The tour was attended by 1.7 million people and grossed $150.2 million in revenue, becoming the highest-grossing country tour of all time upon its completion. The Red Tour received generally positive reviews from music critics. It won Top Package at the Billboard Touring Awards.

The Red Tour

Tour by Taylor Swift
Promotional poster for the tour
Location	Asia Europe North America Oceania
Associated album	Red
Start date	March 13, 2013 (2013-03-13)
End date	June 12, 2014 (2014-06-12)
No. of shows	86
Supporting acts	Ed Sheeran Austin Mahone Florida Georgia Line Brett Eldredge Joel Crouse Casey James Guy Sebastian Neon Trees Andreas Bourani The Vamps Nicole Zefanya CTS Meg Bucsit Imprompt-3 IamNeeta
Attendance	1.7 million
Box office	$150.2 million ($199.5 million in 2024 dollars)[1]
Taylor Swift concert chronology

Background and development

Swift performing at the Red Tour

On October 22, 2012, Swift released her fourth studio album, Red.^[2] The album incorporates elements from different genres, namely dance-pop, indie pop, dubstep, Britrock, and arena rock.^[3][4][5] To develop and produce the album, Swift collaborated with other musicians and artists, such as Max Martin, Shellback,^[6] Gary Lightbody and Jacknife Lee.^[7]

On October 25, 2012, in partnership with ABC News, on the primetime TV special All Access Nashville with Katie Couric – A Special Edition of 20/20, Swift announced that she would launch a North American stadium and arena tour in early 2013 in support of her fourth studio album, Red (2012).^[8]

Swift told Billboard: "Of course, you know the tour will be a big representation of this record". She further stated, "I'm so excited to see what songs the fans like the most and which ones jump to the forefront, because that's the first step. We always see which songs are really the passionate songs and the ones the fans are freaking out over the most, and those are the ones that are definitely in the set list. I can't wait for that."^[9] Swift used Lenny Kravitz's version of "American Woman" as her entrance song.^[10] She sang a cover of The Lumineers's "Ho Hey" nightly, intertwined with her own "Stay Stay Stay".^[11]

On May 24, 2014, BEC-Tero, who had been acting as a promoter for the Bangkok stop of the show, announced that the show had been canceled due to the current political unrest in the area. Swift took to Twitter to express her sadness over the cancellation, stating, "I'm so sad about the concert being canceled... sending my love to the fans in Thailand."^[12]

Planning and development

Planning for The Red Tour began in the summer of 2012, approximately eight to nine months before the tour's launch.^[13] The stage design was the first to be developed, followed by the creation of the setlist, costume design, dancer selection, and finally, the musical rehearsals, all within a month.^[14]

Critical reception

The tour received positive reviews from music critics, with many citing Swift's atmospheric performances as a specific area of praise. Writing for Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield praised Swift's "emotional excess [and] musical reach", stating that "...[n]o other pop auteur can touch her right now."^[15] Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian gave a five-star review, describing Swift as "staggeringly nice" and a "consummate crowd pleaser".^[16] Digital Spy contributor Emma Dibdin noted that the tour combined "whimsical spectacle with Swift's trademark emotional intimacy" and that it "capitalises on exactly what makes Swift such a powerful figure for her audience, the sincere blend of aspirational and relatable."^[17] In a more negative review, Rebecca Ford of The Hollywood Reporter stated that the intros before specific songs that, while "an appropriate fit for the audience," felt long and "brought down the energy of the show." Ford also mentioned that while Swift's voice "has gotten stronger over the years... [it] still has a habit of faltering or being too soft to hear over the band."^[18]

Accolades

Year	Organization	Award	Result	Ref.
2013	Billboard Live Music Awards	Top Package	Won	[19]
		Concert Marketing and Promotion	Nominated
	2013 MTV Europe Music Awards	Best Live Act	Nominated	[20]
	2013 Teen Choice Awards	Choice Summer Tour	Nominated	[21]

Records

Swift became the first solo female artist in 20 years to headline a national stadium tour in Australia, the last being Madonna with The Girlie Show in 1993.^[22] Swift performed to a crowd of over 40,900 fans at the Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia, becoming the first female artist in history to sell out the stadium since it opened in 1988.^[23]

The Red Tour also became the highest-grossing tour by a country artist in history at the time, bringing in $150 million and surpassing the prior record held by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's co-headlining Soul2Soul II Tour, which earned $141 million.^[24]

Set list

The set list below is the set list for the March 28, 2013 show in Newark and does not represent every show of the tour.^[15]

1. "State of Grace"
2. "Holy Ground"
3. "Red"
4. "You Belong with Me"
5. "The Lucky One"
6. "Mean"
7. "Stay Stay Stay" (contains excerpts from "Ho Hey")
8. "22"
9. Surprise song
10. "Everything Has Changed" (with Ed Sheeran)
11. "Begin Again"
12. "Sparks Fly"
13. "I Knew You Were Trouble"
14. "All Too Well"
15. "Love Story"
16. "Treacherous"

Encore

17. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"

Surprise songs

The following songs were performed by Swift in between "22" and "Everything Has Changed":

• "White Horse": During the second show in Omaha^[25] and the first show in Edmonton^[26]
• "Should've Said No": During the first shows in St. Louis,^[27] Atlanta^[28] and Foxborough,^[29] and the show in East Rutherford^[30]
• "Cold as You": During the second show in St. Louis^[31]
• "Tim McGraw": During the first show in Toronto,^[32] and the shows in Charlotte^[33] and Wichita^[34]
• "Forever & Always": During the show in Columbia^[35]
• "Starlight": During the first show in Newark^[36] and the second show in Glendale^[37]
• "The Story of Us": During the second show in Newark^[38]
• "You're Not Sorry": During the third show in Newark,^[39] the first show in Orlando^[40] and the show in Tacoma^[41]
• "Today Was a Fairytale": During the show in Miami^[42]
• "Our Song": During the second shows in Orlando^[43] and Kansas City;^[44] the shows in Lexington,^[45] Columbus,^[46] Arlington,^[47] Salt Lake City^[48] Pittsburgh,^[49] Sacramento^[50] and Raleigh;^[51] and the first show in Nashville^[52]
• "Fifteen": During the second shows in Atlanta,^[53] Los Angeles,^[18] Nashville^[54] and London;^[55] the shows in Jakarta^[56] and San Diego;^[57] and the fourth show in Los Angeles^[58]
• "The Best Day": During the show in Cleveland^[59] and the second show in Washington^[60]
• "Mine": During the shows in Indianapolis^[61] and Saitama^[62]
• "Ours": During the shows in Detroit^[63] and Des Moines,^[64] the first show in Los Angeles,^[65] and the third show in London^[66]
• "Enchanted": During the shows in Louisville,^[67] Denver,^[68] Portland^[69] and Kuala Lumpur,^[70] and the third show in Los Angeles^[71]
• "Never Grow Up": During the first show in Washington^[72]
• "Fearless": During the shows in Houston,^[73] Chicago,^[74] and Pasay;^[75] the second shows in Edmonton^[76] and Foxborough;^[77] and the first^[17] and fourth shows in London^[78]
• "Safe and Sound": During the show in Austin^[79] and the first show in Philadelphia^[80]
• "Haunted": During the first show in Glendale^[81]
• "Highway Don't Care": During the second show in Toronto^[82]
• "Long Live": During the show in Vancouver,^[83] the fifth show in London,^[84] and the first show in Singapore^[85]
• "I Almost Do": During the first show in Omaha and the show in Tampa.
• "Hey Stephen": During the show in Tulsa^[86]
• "Speak Now": During the show in Fargo^[87]
• "Tell Me Why": During the first show in Saint Paul^[88]
• "Sad Beautiful Tragic": During the second show in Saint Paul^[89] and the third show in Nashville^[40]
• "Change": During the show in Greensboro^[90]
• "Last Kiss": During the show in Charlottesville^[91]
• "Teardrops on My Guitar": During the shows in San Antonio^[40] and Winnipeg,^[92] and the second show in Singapore^[93]

Special guests

Swift surprised fans throughout the tour with special guests, with whom she performed a duet.

• March 19, 2013 – St. Louis: "Hey Porsche" with Nelly^[94]
• March 28, 2013 – Newark: "Everybody Talks" with Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees^[95]
• March 29, 2013 – Newark: "Drive By" with Pat Monahan of Train^[96]
• April 19, 2013 – Atlanta: "Both of Us" with B.o.B^[97]
• July 13, 2013 – East Rutherford: "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" with Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy^[98]
• July 27, 2013 – Foxborough: "You're So Vain" with Carly Simon^[99]
• August 19, 2013 – Los Angeles: "Want U Back" with Cher Lloyd and "Brave" with Sara Bareilles^[100]
• August 20, 2013 – Los Angeles: "Closer" with Tegan and Sara^[101]
• August 23, 2013 – Los Angeles: "Anything Could Happen" with Ellie Goulding^[102]
• August 24, 2013 – Los Angeles: "Jenny from the Block" with Jennifer Lopez^[103]
• August 27, 2013 – Sacramento: "The Last Time" with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol^[104]
• September 19, 2013 – Nashville: "I Don't Want This Night to End" with Luke Bryan^[105]
• September 20, 2013 – Nashville: "What Hurts the Most" with Rascal Flatts^[106]
• September 21, 2013 – Nashville: "I Want Crazy" with Hunter Hayes^[107]
• February 1, 2014 – London: "Lego House" with Ed Sheeran^[108]
• February 2, 2014 – London: "Money on My Mind" with Sam Smith^[109]
• February 4, 2014 – London: "Breakeven" with Danny O'Donoghue of The Script^[110]
• February 7, 2014 – Berlin: "I See Fire" with Ed Sheeran^[111]
• February 10, 2014 – London: "Next to Me" with Emeli Sandé^[112]
• February 11, 2014 – London: "Burn" with Ellie Goulding^[113]

Tour dates

List of 2013 concerts^[114]

Date (2013)	City	Country	Venue	Opening act	Attendance	Revenue
March 13	Omaha	United States	CenturyLink Center Omaha	Ed Sheeran Brett Eldredge	27,877 / 27,877	$2,243,164
March 14
March 18	St. Louis		Scottrade Center		28,582 / 28,582	$2,346,203
March 19
March 22	Charlotte		Time Warner Cable Arena		14,686 / 14,686	$1,162,733
March 23	Columbia		Colonial Life Arena		12,490 / 12,490	$996,114
March 27	Newark		Prudential Center	Ed Sheeran Jana Kramer	38,065 / 38,065	$3,565,317
March 28
March 29
April 10	Miami		American Airlines Arena	Ed Sheeran Brett Eldredge	12,808 / 12,808	$1,010,175
April 11	Orlando		Amway Center		25,617 / 25,617	$2,054,128
April 12
April 18	Atlanta		Philips Arena		25,471 / 25,471	$2,048,023
April 19
April 20	Tampa		Tampa Bay Times Forum		14,080 / 14,080	$1,132,095
April 25	Cleveland		Quicken Loans Arena		15,336 / 15,336	$1,247,605
April 26	Indianapolis		Bankers Life Fieldhouse		13,573 / 13,573	$1,082,042
April 27	Lexington		Rupp Arena		17,003 / 17,003	$1,342,699
May 4	Detroit		Ford Field	Ed Sheeran Austin Mahone Brett Eldredge	48,265 / 48,265	$3,969,059
May 7	Louisville		KFC Yum! Center	Ed Sheeran Florida Georgia Line	15,135 / 15,135	$1,246,491
May 8	Columbus		Nationwide Arena		14,267 / 14,267	$1,155,170
May 11	Washington, D.C.		Verizon Center	Ed Sheeran Brett Eldredge	27,619 / 27,619	$2,489,205
May 12
May 16	Houston		Toyota Center		12,467 / 12,467	$961,422
May 21	Austin		Frank Erwin Center	Ed Sheeran Florida Georgia Line	11,916 / 11,916	$935,631
May 22	San Antonio		AT&T Center		13,974 / 13,974	$1,105,253
May 25	Arlington		AT&T Stadium	Ed Sheeran Austin Mahone Florida Georgia Line	53,020 / 53,020	$4,589,266
May 28	Glendale		Jobing.com Arena	Ed Sheeran Joel Crouse	26,705 / 26,705	$2,239,370
May 29
June 1	Salt Lake City		EnergySolutions Arena		14,007 / 14,007	$1,139,360
June 2	Denver		Pepsi Center		13,489 / 13,489	$1,076,069
June 14	Toronto	Canada	Rogers Centre	Ed Sheeran Austin Mahone Joel Crouse	87,627 / 87,627	$7,863,310
June 15
June 22	Winnipeg		Investors Group Field		33,061 / 33,061	$3,175,430
June 25	Edmonton		Rexall Place	Ed Sheeran Joel Crouse	25,663 / 25,663	$2,379,870
June 26
June 29	Vancouver		BC Place Stadium	Ed Sheeran Austin Mahone Joel Crouse	41,142 / 41,142	$3,974,410
July 6	Pittsburgh	United States	Heinz Field		56,047 / 56,047	$4,718,518
July 13	East Rutherford		MetLife Stadium		52,399 / 52,399	$4,670,011
July 19	Philadelphia		Lincoln Financial Field		101,277 / 101,277	$8,822,335
July 20
July 26	Foxborough		Gillette Stadium		110,712 / 110,712	$9,464,063
July 27
August 1	Des Moines		Wells Fargo Arena	Ed Sheeran Florida Georgia Line	13,368 / 13,368	$1,075,576
August 2	Kansas City		Sprint Center		26,412 / 26,412	$2,093,172
August 3
August 6	Wichita		Intrust Bank Arena	Ed Sheeran Casey James	12,231 / 12,231	$983,882
August 7	Tulsa		BOK Center		10,949 / 10,949	$868,955
August 10	Chicago		Soldier Field	Ed Sheeran Austin Mahone Casey James	50,809 / 50,809	$4,149,148
August 15	San Diego		Valley View Casino Center	Ed Sheeran Casey James	10,872 / 10,872	$948,541
August 19	Los Angeles		Staples Center		55,829 / 55,829	$4,734,463
August 20
August 23
August 24
August 27	Sacramento		Sleep Train Arena		12,795 / 12,795	$1,138,103
August 30	Portland		Moda Center		13,952 / 13,952	$1,084,760
August 31	Tacoma		Tacoma Dome		20,348 / 20,348	$1,584,049
September 6	Fargo		Fargodome		21,073 / 21,073	$1,661,578
September 7	Saint Paul		Xcel Energy Center		28,920 / 28,920	$2,320,937
September 8
September 12	Greensboro		Greensboro Coliseum		13,650 / 13,650	$1,109,253
September 13	Raleigh		PNC Arena		13,941 / 13,941	$1,088,612
September 14	Charlottesville		John Paul Jones Arena		12,689 / 12,689	$997,216
September 19	Nashville		Bridgestone Arena		41,292 / 41,292	$3,336,545
September 20
September 21
November 29	Auckland	New Zealand	Vector Arena	Neon Trees	30,799 / 30,799	$3,100,290
November 30
December 1
December 4	Sydney	Australia	Allianz Stadium	Guy Sebastian Neon Trees	40,930 / 40,930	$4,096,060
December 7	Brisbane		Suncorp Stadium		38,907 / 38,907	$3,895,810
December 11	Perth		nib Stadium		21,827 / 21,827	$2,364,080
December 14	Melbourne		Etihad Stadium		47,257 / 47,257	$4,547,250

List of 2014 concerts^[115][116]

Date (2014)	City	Country	Venue	Opening acts	Attendance	Revenue
February 1	London	England	The O2 Arena	The Vamps	74,740 / 75,775[a]	$5,829,240[a]
February 2
February 4
February 7	Berlin	Germany	O2 World	Andreas Bourani	10,350 / 10,350	$755,006
February 10	London	England	The O2 Arena	The Vamps	[a]	[a]
February 11
May 30	Shanghai	China	Mercedes-Benz Arena	—	12,793 / 12,793	$1,864,934
June 1	Saitama	Japan	Saitama Super Arena	CTS	20,046 / 20,046	$1,837,147
June 4	Jakarta	Indonesia	MEIS Ancol	Nicole Zefanya	8,130 / 8,130	$1,481,473
June 6	Pasay	Philippines	Mall of Asia Arena	Meg Bucsit	9,775 / 9,775	$1,511,662
June 9	Singapore		Singapore Indoor Stadium	Imprompt-3	16,344 / 16,344[b]	$2,524,080[b]
June 11	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	Putra Indoor Stadium	IamNeeta	7,525 / 7,525	$998,608
June 12	Singapore		Singapore Indoor Stadium	Imprompt-3	[b]	[b]
Total					1,701,898 / 1,702,933 (99.9%)	$150,184,971

Cancelled show

List of cancelled concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, and reason for cancellation

Date (2014)	City	Country	Venue	Reason
June 9	Pak Kret[c]	Thailand	Impact Arena	Political unrest[12]

Notes

1. The score data is combined from the shows held at the O₂ Arena on February 1, 2, 4, 10 and 11.
2. The score data is combined from the shows held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 9 and 12.
3. Promoted as Bangkok.