‘I wasn’t looking forward to it – but it was wholesome and sweet’
I took my child, who is a fan, and wasn’t particularly looking forward to it – mainly because it was so long. That said, I enjoyed the campy outfit changes, ambitious staging and marvelled at Swift’s stamina. My favourite part of the show was during the mystical Folklore section, when the tweenage Swifties standing at the front grabbed each others’ hands and formed a circle, slowly dancing round and round. It was all very wholesome and sweet. Melanie Seddon, West Sussex
‘A perfect summary of Taylor’s career across genres’
It really feels like you’re at the concert, thanks to cinemas waiving the rules against singing and dancing and the enthusiasm of the audience. I was surprised at how overwhelmed I was to be in a cinema full of people who love Taylor as much as I do. Swifties have in-jokes that the whole crowd says or sings, which they did throughout the film perfectly in sync. As a lifelong fan, there’s a sense of nostalgia and even pride as you watch her work through the decades of her discography. A highlight was Illicit Affairs – it’s completely different to the studio version and she just sings the bridge. It shows her vocal talent but also a depth of emotion. Everyone was standing singing along for that small bit – it’s definitely a fan favourite. Arabella, 25, London
‘We screamed every word to All Too Well’
I went with pals who I used to work in a record shop with. Whenever a Taylor Swift album came out, it would make the day fly by and we would play it over and over. The concert film was a blend of hits and deep cuts for the fans. We stood, we sang and even though our showing wasn’t overly busy, we had a whale of a time. A group of young girls next to us were having fun, but considering they were the target market, didn’t seem to know some of the non-singles – unlike the four 30-year-old indie rock fans in the corner, screaming every word to All Too Well (the 10-minute version). The strongest moments seemed to be when Taylor paused to let the crowd sing along. The closeups on her face at those points were those of a human being in the midst of it all – it’s easy to forget she’s a person too. As concert films go, it was one of the more epic, but would it change a non-fan’s opinion of her? Probably not. It’s the strength of the fandom, us Swifties, that made the film what it was and Taylor would probably agree. Matthew, 30, London
‘I nodded off’
I’m not a Swiftie, but the recording and transitions were done well and she put on a hell of a show. I did also nod off at one point. Maybe it’s because I’m not a big concert person, but I don’t understand people paying through the nose to attend such an experience live. $20 a ticket was acceptable to me for a night out, though, and my wife enjoyed it. It was a savvy move by Swift’s promoters to get this into theaters so quickly when there was such demand. I’ve certainly paid more for less entertaining shows. Anonymous, 47, Chicago, IL
‘The show is bitty, but full of great moments’
Maybe Taylor-mania hasn’t quite reached every corner of the planet. I had the whole auditorium to myself to watch the 11.15pm opening night screening at Vue cinema in Birkenhead. It was great for me, sat in the middle of the back row. The show is rather bitty by its nature and doesn’t have the flow or staging aesthetic of the 1989 or Reputation tour films. It is full of great moments, though. The standout was an utterly compelling performance of All Too Well. She sings with complete conviction; all of the myriad sets and the sheer scale of the concert evaporate. You are confronted by 10 minutes of emotional clarity and honesty, the camera almost exclusively on her face. The stage set for the Evermore songs was also vivid and memorable. So was the wild fun and colour of the concert closer Karma, where everyone on the stage can let loose a little. I’ll be keeping an eye out for resale tickets so I can see the show live at Anfield next year, if the prices ever become accessible. John Keogh, Birkenhead
‘A surreal cinema experience’
I bought tickets with my friend who I’m going to the concert with next year. We didn’t buy into the encouragement to dress up or hand out friendship bracelets – which we’ll save for the actual concert. There was an announcement at the start that we could sing, dance and be as loud as we wanted. It was impossible not to get into the swing of it, and it turned out to be emotional. Taylor Swift was entwined into many of our upbringings for the past 15 years, which made this a unique experience. The film was almost three hours, but it flew by. When Tolerate It started some people were crying singing along; each song meant something different to different people, so with every transition someone else would be standing up. We had a family – a mum, dad and older daughter in front of us – all holding hands for some of her older songs from the Fearless album. Sophie, 25, London
‘You are swept along’
I saw this at the Cineworld Imax in Leicester Square with my 15-year-old son. I thought the film was magnificent. Although this concert does not overtly tell a story, there is a gorgeous flow of mood, rhythm and theme with no jarring moments. Despite the film’s length, you are swept along. Crucially, the live version of some songs transforms them into something new – Champagne Problems reveals new glories here, and the rendition of August is so stunning it feels like it was designed to be a centrepiece. Like many concert films, it probably will not fare well on the small screen, but at the cinema it is tremendous. Jeremy Reynolds, 57, London
