Latest things to know
When, what and where
- Dates: Taylor Swift has six concerts in Toronto: Nov. 14-16 and Nov. 21-23 at the Rogers Centre. Here’s what our reviewer thought of the first show, our liveblog of the performance and a taste of the atmosphere around town. Vancouver gets three nights with the pop star Dec. 6-8 at BC Place.
- Getting around: Toronto expects up to 500,000 fans in the streets over two weeks, and transit agencies are working overtime to accommodate them. Check the TTC and GO Transit websites for a list of increased services. TransLink is the place to go for similar information about Vancouver.
- Where to stay, when to stay away: Hotel and short-term rental rates in both cities have surged to about 10 times the normal cost, so if you’re planning to visit, budget accordingly. GTA residents should check the city’s list of road closings before commuting downtown.
Christie Vuong/The Globe and Mail
For the die-hard Swifties
- When breast cancer and grueling chemotherapy upended her life, The Globe’s Angela Pacienza found comfort in Swiftiedom and a goal to look forward to: Attending an Eras concert with her daughter.
- Music writer Rob Sheffield, author of Heartbreak Is the National Anthem, spoke with The Globe about his book on the Taylor Swift phenomenon and her legacy for other modern recording artists.
Who’s Taylor Swift? Basics
- Taylor Swift is an American pop singer-songwriter who, since emerging from the Nashville country scene in the 2000s, has become one of the best-selling recording artists in the world. If her oeuvre is new to you, we’ve prepared a glossary of key terms and people to look out for.
- Concerts in the Eras Tour recap 10 stages of her career, hitting the highlights of albums that she’s been busily re-recording to regain control of her music after a label dispute. Each concerts runs more than 3½ hours.
- Swifties are a diverse, highly organized fan base who travel long distances to see their idol and each other. The Globe’s happiness reporter, Erin Anderssen, took a deeper look at why “Tay Tay” appeals to them so much.
Fans check out the newly installed Eras Tour sign at the Rogers Centre, where 'Taylor Swift Way' street signs will help fans navigate from Nathan Phillips Square.Galit Rodan/The Globe and Mail
A playlist for the eyes: Globe coverage of Taylor Swift
The green era
Last year, Swift was the first artist in history to become a billionaire based on music and tours alone, and she could be considerably richer by the time the 152-show Eras Tour ends in Vancouver. Who benefits from all that wealth? Report on Business Magazine editor Dawn Calleja crunched the numbers, while reporter Josh O’Kane looked at how Swifties challenged Ticketmaster to get more bank for their bucks.
Highway? Don’t care
“Event tourism” has been a big business in many of the U.S. and European cities on the Eras Tour. Canadians hope to see similar benefits – but for whom, and for how long? Andrew Clark asked travellers about their Swiftian vacations, while Jeff Gray looked at whether Toronto – whose tourism numbers have never quite returned to prepandemic levels – can really expect any long-term gains.
Are we ever, ever, ever getting together?
At first, late November seemed like an ideal wedding date for Nina Bhayana and Eric Kormos of Toronto – but then the Eras Tour came to town, and they shifted their plans to March. The couple was one of several The Globe spoke with about the trickle-down effects of the tour, which has brought hotel-room shortages and scheduling conflicts to two of Canada’s biggest cities.
A playlist for the ears: Swift songs for every type of listener
The Taylor Swift oeuvre is massive, but Globe editors have organized eight Spotify playlists for different discerning tastes. Below, we have:
- Basic: Nothing but the most recognizable of hits
- Hardcore: Underappreciated masterpieces to show you know more than her hits
- Teen mode: For the high school BFFs you listened to Taylor with in the 2010s
- Dad mode: For the listener who only knows Swift as an NFL player’s girlfriend
- Kid mode: Songs to put a toddler to sleep. The entire Folklore album, no notes
- Lyrical ballads: For your skeptic friend who thinks she only writes pop anthems
- Pep talk: For your friend who could use some encouragement and reassurance
- Sneaky: The best covers for your friend who won’t give actual Taylor Swift songs a chance
