Taylor Swift fans reignite debate about cinema etiquette as Eras Tour film hits big screen

Fans were filmed screaming along with the lyrics, shining torches at the screen and dancing in seats at screenings across the world

Taylor Swift fans have reignited debates about cinema etiquette following the release of her Eras Tour concert film.

On Friday (13 October), Swift’s career-spanding tour hit the big screen around the world, eight months before her live shows in the UK. The documentary has already become the highest-grossing concert film in history, earning over $100m (£82m) in advance ticket sales.

Fans flocked to the cinema over the weekend, with clips on TikTok showing screenings “turning into a full-blown Taylor Swift concert”, as fans stood on seats, sang along and filmed the screen during the film.

But while many fans said that they had loved “yelling the lyrics and dancing along” with their fellow Swifties, others were less impressed.

“I’m at the worst screening ever, can’t even hear taylor :) I hate it here,” one Twitter/X user wrote in a viral thread, where they filmed fans screaming and jumping up and down during the film.

“Now they’re just shining their phone torches in the screen and you can’t even see it properly,” they later tweeted.

When one Twitter user pointed out that Swift had encouraged “Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing” at screenings, the original poster wrote: “Yeah did she tell them to scream and shine their lights on the movie so you cant even see it?”

When another suggested they should have watched it at home or gone to a 2pm screening, the fan account owner wrote: “I expect people to be normal, some of us work and can’t just go whenever because people dont know how to act at the CINEMA.”

One follower echoed: “Idk I think it’s great they’re having fun but doing this at the cinema is so weird because there’s other people watching other movies and probably couldn’t even enjoy their own movie because of the screaming.”

“I don’t care what anyone else says, I COMPLETELY understand where you’re coming from,” another agreed. “Like while yes, I feel singing and dancing in your seat is fine, people should remember that others are there to literally just watch, listen, and take it in. So I see both sides. It is still a movie however.”

One tweet read: “I wish people would be more considerate of those other theatres and not be that loud not everyone wants to hear people screaming and singing.”

Another fan said that they had become annoyed with attendees filming with the Snapchat front flash on throughout the film.

“There’s having fun and there’s acting like any rules of society don’t exist because you bought a £20 cinema ticket. They should be respectful towards others and their experience,” one fan said, while another added: “Surely normal cinema rules should apply to the Eras tour… this is just crazy.”

Over the weekend, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was released in 8,500 cinemas across 100 countries, with the film generating over $100m in advance ticket sales. Due to “unprecedented demand”, Swift’s film was released a day early in some screenings in the US and Canada last week.