TORONTO 鈥� The long-awaited Canadian arrival of Taylor Swift came with glitter, velvet and buckets of beads 鈥� and that was just among the superfans who gathered all day outside the concert venue to proclaim their devotion to the pop megastar.
Giddy fans decked out in themed outfits transformed the grounds of the Rogers Centre into an outdoor party hours ahead of Thursday's sold-out stop, the first of six Toronto dates that served as the Eras Tour's Canadian debut.
Adorned in sparkles and wearing denim overalls hand-embroidered with the names of Swift's albums, Meagan Morin said she spent $600 on a last-minute ticket she scored from Ticketmaster just nine days ago.
The 27-year-old from Ottawa said she booked an Airbnb in July before even knowing if she'd be able to see the "Fortnight" singer, intent on making the trip regardless.
鈥淚t feels like such a big family here right now, I'm so excited,鈥� Morin said.
Friends Savannah Williams and Karenza Federinko of Niagara Falls, Ont., said they snagged tickets behind the stage for just $60 to $75 each 鈥� a relative bargain compared to the $2,357 cheapest resale ticket available Wednesday night on StubHub.
The 21-year-old Williams wore a T-shirt that said, 鈥淏ut Daddy I love Him,鈥� a reference to a song on Swift's most recent album, "The Tortured Poets Department."
Federinko, 23, said her favourite Swift music was from her earlier albums, 鈥淪peak Now鈥� and 鈥淔earless.鈥�
Thursday's show was the first of three back-to-back concerts that were expected to draw roughly 50,000 fans each.
Considered to be among the most passionate and influential fandoms, an army of Swifties converged on Toronto in glittered groups that could be spotted in train stations, cafes and downtown arteries.
They were welcomed by a massive sign in front of the Rogers Centre reading "Taylor Swift Eras Tour" and designed to look like a beaded bracelet in honour of a new Swiftie tradition.
The bracelets serve as a conversation starter for fans, many of whom mingled near the arena Thursday and asked to trade. Some concertgoers spent months making the trinkets, carrying hundreds in clear baggies.
Next door to the concert venue, more fans gathered at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for Toronto's Version: Taylgate '24, billed as a place for ticketholders to hang out before the show, for ticketless Swifties to celebrate their fandom, and for parents of concertgoers to wait for their kids.
The playlist there was mostly Swift, but included songs by Ariana Grande and the Spice Girls. Fans milled about the cavernous space in outfits meant to evoke specific Swift albums, made beaded bracelets at a craft station, danced at a 鈥渟ilent disco鈥� in an old TTC subway car and renewed friendship vows at a "bff chapel."
Even hours before the 6:45 p.m. showtime, signs of Swiftmania were apparent throughout the downtown core: several blocks away, a steady stream of people in glitter, cowboy hats and heart-shaped sunglasses emerged from a King Street subway station, while bars along King and Adelaide streets blared Swift music, with two establishments featuring pink streamers in the window.
Even Mayor Olivia Chow seemed to get caught up in the fervour, appearing before city council with one wrist laden with friendship bracelets she said were made at a Swift event hosted by a public library Wednesday night.
"I traded a few, I even got one that says: 'Taylor bike lane'," Chow chuckled before the meeting was set to discuss city bike lanes.
"Madam Speaker you can have one of my bracelets."
Thousands of fans and onlookers were expected to flood the concert zone for shows Thursday, Friday and Saturday, spurring the city to restrict traffic on a number of streets and close some roadways around the shows' end.
Dozens of buses and streetcars were added to transit routes around the stadium, and Metrolinx, the agency for Ontario鈥檚 GO Transit system, added extra trips and extended hours in some regions to accommodate fans looking to travel home.
"We are preparing for something that would be akin to maybe the Beatles coming in the 鈥�'60s,鈥� said Toronto Transit Commission spokesman Stuart Green.
Even as late as Thursday afternoon, some fans waited outside the Rogers Centre without a ticket, hoping for a last-minute miracle to see Swift and opener Gracie Abrams.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has warned eager fans to be alert to ticket scams run by "highly organized" fraudsters.
As of Tuesday they had received 184 reports of people losing money this year while trying to buy tickets to see the artist.
Spokesperson Lisanne Roy Beauchamp said most victims were solicited through compromised accounts. Victims believe they are buying the tickets from someone they know and trust, and are asked to send e-transfers for fake tickets.
Swift is scheduled to play six shows over 10 days including performances Friday and Saturday, and Nov. 21, 22 and 23. Next month she heads to Vancouver to close the tour.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
