Taylor Swift performed “cardigan” first in the 2021 Grammy medley that also included “august.”
At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 14, 2021, Swift performed “cardigan,” “august,” and “willow” as a connected medley. She began “cardigan” while lying atop a cottage, then performed “august” on guitar inside the cottage before moving outside for “willow.”
Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner accompanied Swift, marking the first time the three performed together. The staging echoed Folklore’s cottagecore visual world and emphasized the relationship between the album’s songs.
The medley also linked Folklore with Evermore: “cardigan” and “august” came from Folklore, while “willow” came from Evermore. Swift’s Grammy performance helped introduce the songs to viewers who knew the album but had not previously seen its fictional narratives performed as one sequence.