Taylor Swift moved some of her crew members to tears by distributing an impressive $197 million in bonuses after her successful Eras Tour.
The singer’s global tour set multiple records, with ticket sales reaching an astounding $2 billion from 149 performances across 21 countries.
With the tour now concluded, a docuseries titled Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | The End of an Era is available for streaming on Disney+, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the tour.
In the documentary, the ‘Shake It Off’ singer announced she would present substantial bonuses to the crew at the end of each tour segment as a token of appreciation for their dedication.
Swift also dedicated time amidst her busy schedule to pen personalized thank-you notes for each crew member.
“Bonus day is so important because setting a precedent with the Eras Tour is really important to me because people who work on the road, if the tour grosses more, they get more of a bonus, and these people just work so hard, and they are the best at what they do,” she stated.
A memorable moment in the second episode of the Disney+ series features Swift in a circle with her crew, which includes lighting, sound, and production staff, assistants, carpenters, dancers, and security personnel, among others.
Swift was heard saying: “Everybody has the same message on their cards so I was hoping you could open it together. Before you open yours I just want to say you guys this leg of the tour has been harder than anything I’ve ever done in a live setting and you guys have taken this on with such excitement, such curiosity and the endurance you’ve shown. The spirit you’ve shown.”
When the crew learned the bonus amounts, some members were moved to tears, while others were stunned by the sum they would receive.
Although the exact figures were censored in the show, People magazine reported that Swift distributed a life-changing $197 million in bonuses.
Elsewhere in the Eras Tour special, Swift expressed how giving out the bonuses felt like ‘Christmas morning’.
She remarked: “It’s fun to think about everybody’s lives that they’re gonna go back to and the time off they’re gonna have and, you know, the kids they haven’t seen because they’ve been away for months; just making that worthwhile for them is like really, it just feels like Christmas morning when you finally get to say thank you.”