Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans lined up outside the gates of Toronto’s Rogers Centre Wednesday, with hopes of snagging some of the pop star’s merchandise on the eve of the first of her six sold-out shows in the city.
Swift is slated to perform at the venue from Thursday to Saturday, and the following week from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, with concert merchandise available for sale on some non-show days.
Swifties were all smiles as they left the merch shop, their arms full of sweaters and posters bearing pictures of the star and her Eras Tour logo.
Among them was Zoe Haronitis, 22, who said she waited in line for about two hours to get $300 worth of merchandise, including some apparel for her friends.
Haronitis endured the autumn cold and the hefty price tag even though she hasn’t secured a concert ticket. She said she’s hunting down a resale ticket and plans to spend up to $600.
“I haven’t really budgeted anything,” Haronitis said. “I don’t care how much money I spent. That was kind of my mindset.”
The megastar’s merchandise costs up to $115 for a sweater, and $30 for tote bags and other accessories.
Rachel Renwick, 28, also waited a couple of hours in line for merchandise, but only spent about $70 after learning that a coveted blue sweater and a crewneck had been snatched up by other eager fans before she got to the shop. She had been prepared to spend much more, she said.
“The two prized items sold out. I think a lot more damage would have been done,” Renwick said, adding she’s still determined to buy a sweater at a later date.
Renwick estimated she’s spent about $500 in total on “all-things Eras Tour,” including her concert outfit and merchandise.
The long queue for Swift merch is just a snapshot of what the city will see in the coming days. It’s estimated that up to 500,000 visitors from outside Toronto will be in town during the concert period.
Tens of thousands more are also expected to attend Taylgate’24, an unofficial Swiftie fan event scheduled to be held at the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Meanwhile, Destination Toronto has said it anticipates the economic impact of the Eras Tour could grow to $282 million as the money continues to circulate.
But for fans like Haronitis, the experience in Toronto comes down to the Swiftie community. Knowing that Swift is going to be in the city for six shows and seeing hundreds gather just for merchandise is “awesome,” she said.
Even though Haronitis hasn’t officially bought her ticket yet, she said she’s excited to see the megastar.
“It’s literally incredible.”
Just how big is the hype around Taylor Swift? Her swing through Toronto, set to begin Thursday, seems to be temporarily reshaping the city, with officials renaming Blue Jays Way to Taylor Swift Way for the duration of the musician’s stay. Streets near the Rogers Centre are being shut down and transit service is being increased.
With ticket prices that varied even when they first went on sale — and constantly fluctuating costs on the resale market — it can be hard to quantify the buzz surrounding the pop star, but there are some figures that can give us a sense of the frenzy.
Below, the Eras Tour’s stop in Toronto, by the numbers:
SIX nights of concerts over the course of two weeks. Swift is scheduled to take the stage on Nov. 14-16 and 21-23.
TEN “eras” of Swift’s career represented in the concert. Each era encompasses one of her albums, with the exception of the “Folklore/Evermore” era, which covers two.
FIFTY THOUSAND tickets estimated per concert at the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto.
SIXTY dollars for an official Taylor Swift T-shirt. Hoodies and crewnecks, meanwhile, cost $90 to $115, while accessories such as water bottles and tote bags cost $30.
TWO THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN DOLLARS seemed to be the cheapest ticket to Swift’s first Toronto date listed on resale platform StubHub the night before the show — a single seat with an obstructed view. And while prices were constantly fluctuating, some prime seats were listed for more than $10,000.
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR reports of Swift ticket scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre as of Wednesday. Most reports came from people who lost money.
TWO-HUNDRED-EIGHTY-TWO MILLION dollars in economic activity expected in Toronto as a result of the concerts, according to Destination Toronto, a tourism industry group.
FIVE MILLION beads at Toronto’s Version: Taylgate ‘24, the Swift-adjacent fan event at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The craft store Michaels is the bead sponsor of the event.
THREE GO train lines with added service on concert nights. Metrolinx says it will add extra service on Lakeshore East and West lines both before and after concerts, while the Milton line will have extra trains running after the shows. The regional transit agency says it will also hold the last train of the night for up to an hour to accommodate the concert schedule on the Kitchener, Barrie and Stouffville lines, but it won’t add any extra service.
THIRTEEN locations on Destination Toronto’s Swiftie scavenger hunt, meant to encourage concertgoers to explore the city.
