Guests pose inside an 8-foot-tall heart hands photo activation sponsored by Fujifilm.Photo: Shawn Goldberg
In Glendale, Ariz., the first stop of the tour, local businesses reportedly experienced a bigger sales boost during Swift’s visit than they did when the city hosted the Super Bowl just one month prior. The U.S. Travel Association estimated that the first U.S. leg of the tour resulted in a total economic impact of over $10 billion, including $5 billion in direct spending by her fans.
In October, the singer performed three sold-out shows at the Caesars Superdome, with more than 150,000 fans driving huge business to New Orleans.
Many businesses across the city created their own unique experiences to help the out-of-town Swifties celebrate. New Orleans & Company even compiled a comprehensive guide for fans traveling to the city with recommendations and tips called “New Orleans, Taylor’s Version Guide.”
So, of course, the penultimate stop of the tour—Toronto—had to show out for the songstress who has already performed Nov. 14-16 at the Rogers Centre, with three more shows happening today, Friday, and Saturday. (The final stop is Vancouver, British Columbia, on Dec. 8.)
Enter Toronto's Version: Taylgate '24. The fan event, which coincides with the concert dates, allows Swifties to gather at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, just steps from the Rogers Centre. It features a massive bracelet-making area with more than 5 million beads, dance parties, photo opportunities, F&B, and a comfortable space for fans to celebrate—whether they’re headed to the show or not.
“Both Joel Wolinsky (co-founder) and I were discussing the incredible crowds we saw gathering outside of stadiums in hotter climates along the ERA's Tour and felt there was an opportunity to provide a safe, indoor option for fans in Toronto who won’t be able to gather outside the stadium, whether that’s due to weather or the perimeter we’re hearing the city will set up, and so Taylgate was born,” explained Toronto's Version: Taylgate '24 producer and co-founder Bram Goldstein, a 25-year-plus veteran of the event planning industry in Canada and owner of events agency BIG HQ.
He estimates approximately 30,000 fans will attend the fan event across the two weekends.
“Leading up to the Toronto stop of the tour, we saw the level of online and in-person interest and felt that this community was ready for an adjacent opportunity that allowed fans to convene in a safe space near the venue,” added Wolinsky.
“Taylgate allows fans to continue the celebration and engage in activities and moments that are impactful, memorable, and relevant to her audience,“ he said.
In addition to the bracelet-building and -trading area, which is sponsored by Michaels Canada, fans can also receive makeup touch-ups at the MAC Cosmetics Beauty Bar, renew their friendship vows at the Sheertex Best Friends Chapel, dance at a silent disco inside a full-size Toronto subway car, and score concert-ready merchandise including transparent bags for the show. Tickets are $55 CAD at torontosversion.com.
The city’s tourism bureau, Destination Toronto, expects over $282 million in economic impact from Swift’s two-week stint, including $152 million in direct spending.
With motifs such as friendship bracelets that translate from city to city, it’s undeniable that The Eras Tour has been a master class in fostering community—an important goal for all event profs.
“Event producers like ourselves can learn a lot from her by providing fans of various passion points—whether it be music, sports, or the arts—a chance to engage and consume the type of content or interests they have,” Wolinsky said. “Throughout the development process for Taylgate, we took time and care crafting not only our event’s look and feel, but how we were going to engage with this community. We hope her fans and those in attendance feel that love and respect in both the lead-up to the event and on site.”
Keep scrolling to see more from inside Toronto's Version: Taylgate '24...
