Taylor Swift is embarking on her highly anticipated Eras Tour in support of her record-breaking 10th studio album Midnights, and fans in Seattle will get the chance to see her live when she takes the stage at Lumen Field on August 5, 2023. As one of the biggest pop stars in the world today, Swift always brings spectacular production, surprise guests, and an electric atmosphere to her live shows. Fans are especially excited to find out which acts Swift has selected to open the show and set the stage for an unforgettable night in Seattle.
The History of Taylor Swift’s Opening Acts
Throughout her touring career, Taylor Swift has made a point of highlighting rising talents, close friends, and established hitmakers as her opening acts. When Swift first hit the road as a headliner in 2009 for her Fearless Tour, she brought along then-newcomers Kellie Pickler and Gloriana to introduce her brand of country-pop music to new audiences in arenas and amphitheaters across North America.
As her star power grew exponentially in the early 2010s, Swift was able to recruit major contemporary stars like Needtobreathe, Charlie XCX, Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran, and Camila Cabello to serve as her supporting acts on tours like the massive 1989 World Tour in 2015. Fan favorites like HAIM and Charli XCX joined her again when she returned to stadiums for her record-shattering Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018. Most recently, British singer-songwriter Griff and alternative pop band Gracie Abrams had the honor of opening for Swift’s Eras Tour during its international leg in 2022 before she heads back to North America in 2023.
So what rising talents or chart-topping friends might Taylor pick to set the stage at Lumen Field this summer? Let’s take a look at some possible opening acts for the Seattle show.
Phoebe Bridgers
Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift have been frequent musical collaborators and admirers of each other’s work over the past few years. Swift provided backing vocals on Bridgers’ song “Nothing Else Matters” from her critically acclaimed 2020 album Punisher. That same year, Bridgers covered Swift’s “Cardigan” and “August” for her Spotify Singles session. In 2021, Swift then featured Bridgers on two tracks (“Nothing New,” “Cowboy Like Me”) from her own re-recorded album Red (Taylor’s Version).
On social media and in interviews, Bridgers and Swift have also loudly praised each other’s songwriting and shared photos hanging out together in the studio. As a leading voice in indie rock who will be releasing her own new album in 2023, Phoebe Bridgers would make perfect sense joining Taylor’s tour as an edgy, cool counterpoint to Swift’s pop spectacle at Lumen Field.
Olivia Rodrigo
Another young artist that Swift has recently taken under her wing is Olivia Rodrigo, who exploded onto the charts in 2021 as a teenager with her record-breaking debut single “Drivers License.” In the midst of becoming one of the biggest breakout pop stars of the last few years, Rodrigo received a handwritten note of encouragement from her idol Swift telling her how much she loved her deeply personal songwriting.
Rodrigo name-checked Swift as one of her favorite artists growing up during her 2022 Grammy acceptance speech for Best New Artist. She also covered Swift’s hit “You Belong With Me” in the BBC Live Lounge last year. Fresh off her own sold-out 2022 Sour Tour, Olivia Rodrigo seems like a perfect embodiment of the next generation of Taylor Swift fandom, making her a natural choice to open the Eras Tour at only 20 years old.
Conan Gray
As a singer-songwriter who is open about Taylor Swift’s influence on his music, 23-year-old pop artist Conan Gray could be an ideal rising talent choice to open the Lumen Field show. Gray’s emotional, journal-entry-style lyrics and knack for creating vivid stories in songs like “Heather” and “Maniac” show shades of a young Swift. In 2020, Gray told Billboard that “Taylor Swift is one of my biggest inspirations,” and he added her re-recording of “Love Story” to his Apple Music playlist of favorite songs that same year.
While he has found success on streaming platforms and alt-radio with his Generation Z-targeted pop, a coveted opening spot on Taylor’s tour would grant Gray exposure to a broader mainstream pop audience before the likely 2023 release of his next studio album. Gray wrapped up his own 35-city arena tour in April 2022, so he will have the stage skills primed and ready for a stadium show in Seattle this summer.
Other Possible Openers
While Bridgers, Rodrigo, and Gray seem like ideal choices given their rising profiles and existing ties to Taylor Swift’s music, the pop superstar is always full of surprises. Some more speculative options she could choose from for the Seattle show include:
- Folk-pop sister trio HAIM – Longtime friends who opened for Taylor’s Reputation Tour
- Pop futurist Charli XCX – Past collaborator and opening act going back to 1989 Tour
- Singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams – Recent tourmate whose debut album arrives in 2023
- Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter – Emerging talent covering similar youthful pop ground as peak Swift
- Rock band Paramore – Veterans riding high off a 2022 comeback who covered Swift’s “All Too Well”
Who Will Taylor Choose?
Of course, the only person who truly knows who will take the stage before Taylor Swift this summer at Lumen Field is Taylor herself. Yet based on her penchant for championing young women’s artistry, rewarding loyal friends, and cultivating the next generation of talent, Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo, or Conan Gray seem like particularly strong contenders. However, fans won’t know for sure until closer to the August 5, 2023 show date, as Taylor continues to keep the Eras Tour surprises coming.
Conclusion
No matter who ends up opening the night, Swifties in Seattle are surely in for a spectacular evening of live music from pop’s mostthrilling headliner and stage production purveyor. Getting to share the stadium space with their idol will also be a career highlight for whichever emerging stars or established acts Taylor Swift hand-picks to kick things off. When the Eras Tour touches down at Lumen Field, fans will find out if their predictions were correct about who Taylor chose to properly set the stage for one of 2023’s can’t-miss concerts.