Israeli Swifties are Still Waiting For Their Turn

Taylor Swift has huge fandom all over the world, even in Israel.

When she recently announced her international dates for her highly expensive Eras Tour, Israel was a destination that was not going to have a concert. I was disappointed to see that this was the case, knowing that throughout her career, Taylor Swift has never played a show in Israel, let alone the entire Middle East, Africa, or Central Asia, and her fans in those areas of the world are still waiting desperately in hopes for a show.

However, during the US leg of her tour, Swift listened to the voices of her fans who observe Shabbat and added more Sunday shows. In reality, there should be more shows during the week as well as more destinations on the Eras tour. Many fans who have attended Eras Tour concerts have had to travel due to the limited destinations.

Unfortunately, the dream of trying to get global music super sensations to Israel is likely only going to get harder. In 2014, a YouTube video in hopes of bringing Katy Perry’s Prismatic World Tour to Israel circulated the web. Perry never brought her tour to Israel. Perry and Swift have a complicated history of being archenemies, enhancing the storyline for Swift’s 2014 hit “Bad Blood.”

As Swift is mostly doing weekend shows during the Eras Tour, it would be complicated regarding Shabbat. Someday, I hope that Taylor Swift will come to Israel to say yes to peace and tolerance – and perform for her fans without any hesitation.

The Eras Tour is Taylor Swift’s first world tour since 2018.