Taylor Swift plays 44 songs during three-hour tour opener

Singer Taylor Swift has delivered an incredible three-hour showcase in the opening show of her first tour in five years.

The popstar delivered an unforgettable night to 80,000 fans who turned out for the debut show of her 'Eras' tour at Arizona's State Farm Stadium.

At one point, Swift appeared to dive into water beneath her stage as visuals showed the artist swimming back to it.

She then emerged on a rising platform to belt out her single Lavender Haze.

"Wait this is iconic," one fan said of the moment on Twitter.

"This is awesome, I love Taylor Swift," another said.

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"I literally cannot believe that was real felt like a fever dream," another fan said.

Others compared the stunt to work by Sza during the opening of her live show, with people saying she "did it first".

Another wrote: "Say thank you to Sza."

Swift ventured through 44 songs from across her career during the slightly more than three-hour showcase.

"I can't even go into how much I've missed you," Swift told her loyal supporters from the stage.

Her mammoth production includes 16 dancers, a set split into sections for each one of her 10 albums and multiple costume changes.

A lengthy, illuminated catwalk led to a second stage which she moved down as fans echoed her lyrics back to her.

She told them: "I'm trying to tell you I love you and I'm babbling."

Reviews have been positive so far, with Billboard writing: "The achievement is often staggering with costume changes, set-piece upheaval [and] vulnerable moments in a crowd of thousands and sing-alongs that will rival the scope of any tour this year."

The 52-date tour is currently restricted to the US but no doubt her 'Swifties' are hoping that will change.

The Eras Tour broke the record for the most concert tickets sold by an artist in a single day, at 2.4 million.