Taylor Swift’s new Disney+ docuseries, The End of an Era, shows behind-the-scenes moments from her Eras Tour.
In episode two, the series shows Swift giving bonus payments to the people who worked on the tour, including dancers, musicians, and crew. She explains that “bonus day” matters to her because if the tour earns more money, the people working on it should earn more too. She says the crew worked extremely hard and deserved it.
Swift also says she handwrote notes to go with the bonuses. She talks about thinking of everyone’s lives, their families, and the time they missed while being on the road for months.
One scene shows her speaking to the dancers after they had to update the show by changing the set list and learning new choreography, especially after she added songs from The Tortured Poets Department. The dancers react with shock when the bonus amount is revealed (the exact number is hidden in the video).
Reports say Swift gave about $197 million in bonuses during the tour, covering many workers like lighting, sound, trucking, catering, wardrobe, security, and more. One trucking company executive said each driver got $100,000 plus a handwritten letter, calling it “life-changing.”
The Eras Tour was a huge success, finishing in December 2024 after 149 shows in 21 countries, and it became the first tour ever reported to earn over $2 billion. The tour’s success also helped increase Swift’s wealth, and she has said she used money from the tour to help buy back the rights to her music catalog.
