Fearless Tour facts for kids

The Fearless Tour was the very first big concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. She launched it to support her second album, Fearless, which came out in 2008.

Her record company, Big Machine Records, first announced 52 shows in North America in January 2009. The tour officially began on April 23, 2009, in Evansville, Indiana, USA. Before this, Taylor had already performed at some music festivals. Later in 2009, she added more shows in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan. The Fearless Tour ended on July 10, 2010, in Cavendish, Canada. Other artists like Kellie Pickler, Gloriana, and Justin Bieber joined her as opening acts.

By the time it finished, the Fearless Tour had welcomed 1.2 million fans. It earned $66.5 million from 118 concerts over 15 months. Some of the shows were filmed for a TV series called Journey to Fearless. This series aired on The Hub in October 2010. Journey to Fearless was later released on DVD and Blu-ray in October 2011.

How the Fearless Tour Started

Swift performing "Tim McGraw" during the Fearless Tour in 2009

Taylor Swift's second album, Fearless, was released on November 11, 2008. She wrote or helped write all the songs on it. Fearless was a huge hit! It reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold over two million copies in the United States by the end of 2008. This made Taylor Swift the best-selling musician in the country that year.

On January 29, 2009, Big Machine Records announced the Fearless Tour. This was Taylor's first time leading her own tour. Before this, she had opened for other country artists like Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley. The announcement said Taylor would play at festivals first. These included the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Then, she would start her 52-show tour across North America.

The tour was set to begin on April 23, 2009, in Evansville, Indiana. Tickets went on sale starting February 6. Kellie Pickler and Gloriana were announced as the first opening acts. Taylor was 19 years old when the tour started. She had just finished high school. Rehearsals for the tour began in Nashville, Tennessee, a week after the announcement.

The first show was in Evansville, Indiana. To celebrate the sold-out concert, Taylor received the key to the city. The City Council President even declared April 23, 2009, "Taylor Swift Day."

In June, a new show was added for November 23 at Wembley Arena in London. Taylor also announced another UK show in Manchester. It was later confirmed that Justin Bieber would join her for these two UK dates. During his performance at Wembley Arena, Justin Bieber broke his foot. This happened while he was singing "One Time." Even with his injury, he still performed in Manchester the next day.

On September 30, it was announced that Taylor would return to Australia. She would play more concerts there in February 2010. On October 8, the tour was extended. It would now go through June 2, 2010. This added 37 more shows in North America. Justin Bieber was also confirmed to open the show at Gillette Stadium on June 5, 2010.

The Stage and Show Design

Taylor Swift helped design the stage for her tour. It looked like a fairytale castle. More than one million lights lit it up. The show also had amazing graphics and visual effects. Taylor helped design these too.

The concert lasted almost 90 minutes. During the show, Taylor played five different guitars. She also played the piano. She changed her outfits many times throughout the performance.

What Happened During the Concert?

The show started with the stage looking like a school hallway. Taylor appeared at the top of the stage. She wore a band uniform. She began singing "You Belong With Me". As the song built up, dancers quickly removed her uniform. This showed a sparkling, silver dress underneath.

Next, she sang "Our Song" and "Tell Me Why." After these songs, Taylor talked about her high school crush. The stage backdrops then changed to a library. Here, Taylor performed "Teardrops on My Guitar". She then sang "Fearless" and left the stage to change her outfit.

The next part of the show began with Taylor in a red dress. She sat on a red armchair with a male dancer. She sang "Forever & Always". Taylor then left and changed into a teal gown. She walked through the audience while singing "Hey Stephen". On a smaller stage, she played "Fifteen" and "Tim McGraw" on her guitar. After this, Taylor returned to the main stage for "White Horse".

Taylor and her dancers came back out in old-fashioned, Renaissance-style clothes. They performed "Love Story". During this song, Taylor changed into a white gown. She then sang "The Way I Loved You." Afterward, Taylor changed into a purple mini-dress. She went to a piano at the top of the stage. She performed "You're Not Sorry". This song included parts of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around...Comes Around". Her dancers, dressed in black, did acrobatics on the lower stage. "Picture to Burn" and "Change" were sung next. "Picture to Burn" had cool fire-like visuals in the background. Taylor then left for her last costume change.

For the encore, Taylor appeared on top of the stage in a black gown. She sang "I'm Only Me When I'm With You" with her opening acts, Gloriana and Kellie Pickler. For shows in 2010, Taylor sang "Today Was a Fairytale" by herself. She then talked to the audience about someone who had cheated on her. This led into her song "Should've Said No". During this song, rain fell from above the stage. Taylor ended the show by leaving the stage as the curtains closed.

Tour Success and Records

Tickets for the first Fearless Tour shows went on sale in early February 2009. They sold out almost instantly! On February 6, 2009, tickets for the May 22 show in Los Angeles sold out in just two minutes. Tickets for other places, like Madison Square Garden, sold out in a record time of one minute. Taylor Swift is one of the few artists to sell out the Save Mart Center in under ten minutes.

In total, the Fearless Tour had 118 shows over 15 months. It earned over $66 million. More than 1.2 million people came to see the concerts.

Journey to Fearless Documentary

Journey to Fearless is a three-part TV show about Taylor Swift. It first aired on The Hub starting October 22, 2010. This special show was 135 minutes long. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 11, 2011.

Awards for Journey to Fearless

Who Opened for Taylor?

Taylor Swift performing with Kellie Pickler and Gloriana in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in October 2009

Three different acts opened for Taylor Swift on her tour. Gloriana toured with her mostly in North America and Australia. Kellie Pickler also joined her in North America. Justin Bieber opened for her in the United Kingdom and in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Here are some of the songs the opening acts performed:

Songs Taylor Performed

Here is the main list of songs Taylor performed in 2009:

• "You Belong with Me"
• "Our Song"
• "Tell Me Why"
• "Teardrops on My Guitar"
• "Fearless"
• "Forever & Always"
• "Hey Stephen"
• "Fifteen"
• "Tim McGraw"
• "White Horse"
• "Love Story"
• "The Way I Loved You"
• "You're Not Sorry" (with parts of "What Goes Around... Comes Around")
• "Picture to Burn"
• "Change"

Encore

• "I'm Only Me When I'm with You" (with Kellie Pickler and Gloriana)
• "Should've Said No"

Tour Dates and Locations

See also

In Spanish: Fearless Tour para niños