How Cities Are Welcoming Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour In Grand, Ceremonial Fashion

No matter where you live or are planning to go on vacation this summer, the biggest event of the year in virtually every major city across the U.S. is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, at least based on how they’re welcoming the 12-time Grammy winner when she performs in their town. Swift kicked off the Eras Tour on March 17 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., which set the standard high when it came to honoring the singer by renaming their town Swift City in her honor.

Since then, every city that Swift has stopped to perform in has commemorated her arrival in some grand, ceremonial fashion, almost creating a competition of sorts to determine which tour stop is the biggest Swiftie (aside from fans attending the shows, of course). Cities like Arlington, Texas, and Tampa, Fla., have given Glendale a run for their money, with one of them even making Swift the mayor, which only challenges future tour stops through August to up the ante. By the time Swift reaches California by the end of July, Gavin Newsom may feel pressured to just make her governor.

Given how extra these honors are getting, it’s only appropriate to keep track of them all in one place. Here’s how every Eras Tour city is honoring Swift in their own extravagant ways.

Glendale

To honor Swift kicking off her tour in Glendale, Ariz., mayor Jerry Weiers — who called himself Mayor Swiftie — temporarily changed the city’s name to Swift City, making the announcement with an infinite amount of Swift puns. “There is no need to calm down, we’re fearless and doing something highly unusual to celebrate the fact that Taylor’s concerts start right here!” he said in a statement. “We know all too well that she’s one of the most influential artists of her generation and we are writing our own love story for her and greeting every Swiftie in style!”

The mayor’s official proclamation was filled with even more Swift puns, calling her a “bejeweled” musician, saying Glendale “was enchanted to meet” her, and that fans would “shake it off” at her shows. It must be read to be believed.

To play on the newly crowned name, Swifties also renamed the state Erazona, which Swift herself used in an Instagram post after opening night. “I miss you like it was the very first night,” she wrote. “Good thing we’re about to go onstage and do the whole thing again tonight. See you [soon] Glendale, Erazona.”

Las Vegas

Sin City honored Swift in a much more subtle way, displaying a light show on the Gateway Arches on Las Vegas Boulevard inspired by the colors used on the Eras Tour poster. The City of Las Vegas’ Twitter account announced this new feature with, you guessed it, a Swift pun, tweeting that Vegas was “flexing like a Vegas acrobat” to welcome Swift, riffing off a lyric from “Karma.”‌

Arlington

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including how they welcome the Eras Tour into town. For the first of the tour’s two Texas stops, the city of Arlington renamed one of its streets in Swift’s honor. In reality, they couldn’t physically change the name at stop lights due to maps and such, instead installing a street sign that read “Taylor Swift Way” right outside AT&T Stadium.

Acknowledging that they couldn’t rename their entire town after Swift, Arlington made up for it by giving her a key to the city, making it the first of the Eras Tour, and lighting up the steel sculptures at City Hall red in honor of Swift’s 2012 album. In addition. the city’s local art museum extended the fun by giving Swifties an experience to look forward to after Swift left town.

Before the shows, the Arlington Museum of Art announced that they would open an Eras Tour exhibition, which will feature “original costumes, photographs, and concert videos” that represent all of her eras, curated from Swift’s own private collection. The exhibit, which will run from June to September, will also showcase costumes from Midnights, folklore, Red (Taylor’s Version), and Fearless (Taylor’s Version) for the first time.

Tampa

Ahead of her three shows at Raymond James Stadium from April 13-15, Tampa decided to give Swift City a run for their money by renaming their entire country. The city lies within Hillsborough County, which is now called Swiftsborough. In fact, the country changed its administration services page to be Eras-themed, reworking each of their local services to fit around one of Swift’s albums, like saying citizens can “Speak Now” at town hall meetings and find their “Lover” at a pet adoption center. Naturally, they’re calling it “The Eras Tour (Hillsborough's Version).”

Refusing to be outshined by their county, Tampa mayor Jane Castor decided to go a step further and offer Swift her job, making her the honorary mayor of the city — for a day, at least. Swift has yet to formally accept the position, but regardless, the new title will now join her very long resume. Castor also gave her a key to the city, because you can’t really be mayor without one. Tampa’s official Twitter account is now going by “City of Tampa (Taylor's Version)” to commemorate her new position.

Virtually the entire city of Tampa is now under Swift’s control, but according to Hillsborough County Superintendent Addison Davis, the Eras Tour is not a holiday for students. Davis wrote a letter making it clear that absences due to students attending Swift’s April 13 show will not be excused, getting her message across in Swiftie speak. “I understand I am the ‘Anti-Hero’ here, and ‘Call It What You Want,’ but ‘You’re on Your Own Kid’ if you think being a Swiftie is a good excuse for missing important instruction,” her note reads. “You know ‘All Too Well’ you ‘Should’ve Said No’ to attending a Thursday night concert.” Well, you can’t win them all.

Houston

Before Swift’s shows at NRG Stadium from April 21-23, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced in a pun-filled Twitter video that she was giving the stadium a new name in honor of Swift, rather than renaming a street or the city itself. For the weekend, the venue will be called NRG Stadium (Taylor’s Version), nodding to her re-recordings.

“We know all too well that other areas have done huge things,” Hidalgo said, nodding to how other cities have welcomed Swift. “They’ve lit up the town; they’ve renamed streets, they’ve even made you mayor for a day. But we’re going to something even better. I know if I did any of that, folks would say that I am the man... With the name change, I know it’ll never go out of style. Plus, it’s not only the young that enjoy your music. I hope your stay is beyond your wildest dreams, and for everyone in Harris County, let’s get ready for it!”

Atlanta

The ATL turned into A-Tay-L for Swift’s Eras Tour. Ahead of her three shows at Mercedes-Benz Stadium from April 28-30, Georgia’s Own Credit Union hung up a massive “WELCOME TO A-TAY-L” banner atop its 450-foot-high sign.

Nashville

Swift’s adopted hometown of Nashville was not going to let her perform there without throwing her a special celebration. Ahead of her three shows at Nissan Stadium, Nashville Mayor John Cooper issued an official proclamation declaring May 5-7 as “Taylor Swift’s Homecoming Weekend.” To honor her return, the city also installed a bench in Centennial Park with a plaque that read, “For Taylor Swift. A bench for you to read on Centennial Park. Welcome home, Nashville.”

The park bench is a direct response to Swift’s folklore track “invisible string,” which she opens with the lyrics, “Green was the color of the grass where I used to read at Centennial Park, I used to think I would meet somebody there.”

“This honorary bench in Centennial Park is more than simply a place to sit,” Mayor Cooper said in a statement to PEOPLE. “It is a monument to Nashville and Taylor Swift’s long-standing relationship, and a reminder that she is always welcome back home.” On May 5, the park also planted a willow tree next to the bench, nodding to her evermore single “Willow.”

In recognition of the city’s honor, Swift brought back “invisible string” to her setlist for the May 6 show, after she replaced it with “the 1” starting at her March 31 show in Texas. “My father sent me an article about the bench and I love it!” she told the crowd after the performance.

Philadelphia

Swift’s adopted hometown of Nashville celebrated the Eras Tour in style, but her actual homestate of Pennsylvania couldn’t let her stop by without their own tribute. Before her shows at Lincoln Financial Field from May 12-14, Audacy announced that their Philly radio station 96.5 TDY would be renamed Ninety-Swift-Five T-A-Y and play only songs by Swift for Eras Tour weekend. In addition, the city unveiled a mural of Swift on South Street that read, “In my Philly Era.”

Foxborough

Swift has a long history of performing at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., so it was only right for the state to honor her return for the Eras Tour from May 19-21. Governor Maura Healey wrote an official citation to welcome Swift, calling it “a “Governor’s Citation (Maura’s Version),” which was just one of many Swift puns in the official decree.

East Rutherford

New Jersey possibly had the most unique way of welcoming Swift. Ahead of her shows at MetLife Stadium from May 26-28, Governor Phil Murphy decided to declare the “Taylor Swift Ham, Egg, and Cheese” as the official State Sandwich of New Jersey. Yes, really.

Like many politicians, Murphy wrote up an official decree for the announcement, filled with Swift-related puns and alluding to some local sandwich feud. “In honor of one of The Best Days, New Jersey is Enchanted to announce the Taylor Swift Ham, Egg, and Cheese sandwich as the official State Sandwich of New Jersey and end The Great War between Taylor Ham and Pork Roll.”

While Swift isn’t technically playing in New York City on the Eras Tour, the stadium’s close proximity to Manhattan meant that they wanted to celebrate in their own way. On May 20, the Museum of Arts and Design opened an exhibit dedicated to the singer, “Taylor Swift: Storyteller,” featuring a selection of Swift’s most iconic dresses and ensembles from across all of her eras, as well as props used in her concert s and music videos. The exhibition will remain on display through Sept. 4.