We’re just a few days away from Taylor Swift taking over Toronto! The superstar will perform her sold-out ‘The Eras Tour’ concerts at the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto — and Swifties are more than ready to welcome her. With tons of articles on Swift’s upcoming performances and city preparations for her grand entrance, we’ll summarize everything neatly in this article! From Swift-inspired food menus and hotel suites to Eras tour outfits and street renaming — here’s everything you need to know about Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour concerts in Toronto:

Eras Tour Highlights

Swift will perform across two weekends, from Nov. 14 to 16 and Nov. 21 to 23, at the Rogers Centre (1 Blue Jays Way). The stadium is easily accessible by subway, GO transit, bike share, and car (click here for directions). Rogers is really upping their game for these concerts — the company recently completed an $8 million upgrade to its 5G network at Rogers Centre, which will deliver three times more 5G network capacity throughout the stadium (this is critical, as past Eras Tour experiences indicate that thousands of fans will likely be livestreaming at the same time).

The City of Toronto is even showing their love — in August, City Council voted 21 to 1 in favour of a motion to temporarily rename a route of streets (from Nathan Phillips Square to the Rogers Centre) as ‘Taylor Swift Way’ during the Eras Tour. The street signs were unveiled a few days ago and will be donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank at the end of the month to raise money for the organization through auctions (that means you can buy your own bona fide ‘Taylor Swift Way’ Toronto street sign!)

Eras Tour Tickets

Despite the temporary pandemonium over a mysterious 7^th Eras Tour concert date appearing (and quickly disappearing) on Ticketmaster a few months ago, Swift will only perform at six concerts in Toronto. Alas, tickets for all six performances are sold out on Ticketmaster, but you can check out ticket resale platforms like Vivid Seats (just expect to pay through the nose — we’re seeing tickets range from $2900 to $29,000+).

Can’t get Taylor Swift tickets? ‘Taylgate’ could be the next best thing…

If you weren’t lucky enough to grab tickets, you can celebrate Swift by attending the ultimate Taylor Swift fan experience! Prior to Swift’s performances, the North Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (about a 7-minute walk from the Rogers Centre) will be transformed into Toronto’s Version: Taylgate ’24, which will run daily on the concert dates from 1 p.m. until 11 p.m. This one-of-a-kind fan event will allow Swifties of all ages, genders, and backgrounds to gather together and celebrate all-things Taylor Swift through singing, dancing, bracelet-making, dance parties, photo opportunities, and tons of food and beverages!  Limited tickets to Taylgate ’24 are still available for $55 CAD (including fees and HST).

How Toronto businesses are preparing for their Taylor Swift moment

Toronto hotels, restaurants, and businesses are looking at ingenious ways to market to the hundreds of thousands of Swifites hitting the city. The Bisha Hotel’s is marketing their Taylor suite — a deluxe one-bedroom room filled with Swift-inspired brandings, like Swift-themed artwork, Swift quotes posted to the wall, album visuals, friendship bracelets, and even a curated playlist upon arrival!

The Le Dolci Culinary Classroom is hosting Taylor Swift “Blank Space” cake-decorating classes (Nov. 14 -15, 21-23) for Swifties to recreate the heart-shaped cake that Swift infamously stabbed in her 2014 music video.  A Taylor Swift Fan Night will be hosted at the Bata Shoe Museum on Nov. 12 (it won’t matter if you wear high heels or sneakers). The fundraiser TDOT SWIFT 4 CATS will be held at the El Mocambo (Nov. 20, 8 pm), with proceeds going to cat shelters across Canada. At Fresh Paint Studio + Cafe Toronto, for one night only, artists can “create their own era” in a Swift-inspired bejeweled paint-pouring workshop (Nov. 13, 7:00 – 9:00 pm).

Still no tickets to the concerts? Take a stab at winning some! Put your Swift knowledge to the test for a night of Taylor Swift trivia at Chef’s Hall (Nov. 12, 6:30 – 8:30pm).  General Admission Tickets are $54, but prizes include 2 tickets to the Eras Tour + Swiftie Combo for 2 from The Red Eye + Album Bracelets by KoiCards (for the first place team), $80 Gift Card + Album Bracelets by KoiCards (second place team), and $40 Gift Card + Album Bracelets by KoiCards (third place team).

Swifities who love to explore can check out The Toronto (Taylor’s Version) Scavenger Hunt Contest (until Nov. 29), which will feature song clues leading to iconic locations throughout the city!

Love to dance? The Rivoli (334 Queen St W) will host some of the best Taylor Swift dance parties and drag shows in the city, with performances by Toronto’s top Taylor drag impersonators each night! (Nov. 15-16, 21-23; 10:30 pm-3 am; tickets: $19). The Taylor Swift Dance Party at Bar Cathedral (54 The Esplanade) will host the best Eras Tour afterparty just steps away from The Rogers Centre (Nov. 15, doors open at 10 pm, cost: $20-$40).

Don’t forget ERAS! ERAS! ERAS! presented by Choir! Choir! Choir!! To honour the queen, Choir! Choir! Choir! founders Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman will lead an epic sing-along to one of Swift’s greatest hits each night for six nights, allowing Swifties to celebrate her takeover of the city! These fully interactive, participatory shows will transform the audience into performers (upcoming performances include “Cruel Summer” (Nov. 24), “Cardigan” (Nov. 25), and “Anti-Hero” (Nov. 26)).  The sing-alongs will take place at Longboat Hall (103 Dovercourt Rd, in the basement of Great Hall) at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.). Tickets are $19.89 plus taxes per person/per show, with a portion of the ticket sales being donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank. You can read more about Swift-themed events in Toronto here.

 

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Taylor Swift-inspired menus taking over Toronto

Local restaurants are rolling out Taylor Swift-inspired menus, drinks, and experiences in celebration of the superstar!  Frenchy Bar et Brasserie is going full Swiftie with a limited-time menu in collaboration with Empress 1908 Gin (until Nov. 23). Sip on cocktails like “Blank Space”, “Red”, and the non-alcoholic “Me!”, and dish on the “Lover” dessert — raspberry and pistachio buttercream cake.  The Red Eye is featuring a special $22 Swifty combo all month long, inspired by Taylor’s favourite eats (a Red Eye cheeseburger, beef-fat fries, gravy, and a chocolate ‘shake). Ficoa is serving up two Swiftie-inspired cocktails to celebrate Taylor’s Toronto tour stops! Until Nov. 23, sip on “You Belong With Me” ($20), which mixes blanco tequila, grapefruit juice, and pink bubbles, and “The Man” ($20) for a smokey twist on the Whiskey Sour. Patois is offering special brunches on Nov. 16 and 23. The Whole Sh-Brunch, Taylor’s Version, will feature fried chicken and French toast, a butterfly shrimp rundown, and Patois Eggs Benny ($99 per pair). Click here for more Taylor Swift-inspired menus taking over Toronto this month!

Swift-Inspired Poetry Readings

Hipsters unite and celebrate Swift’s Eras Tour performances by attending poetry readings! These free events are inspired by Swift’s upcoming tour and will feature creative works by more than 20 talented Toronto poets, including the City’s Poet Laureate Lillian Allen and the City’s Youth Poet Laureate, Shahaddah Jack.

First up is the Street Talk Stencils project (Nov 14-23), which will transform Toronto’s sidewalks into a literary journey, with powerful verses painted along the path to Swift’s concert venue (along “Taylor Swift Way”, i.e., Queen St. W from City Hall and south along John St. to the Rogers Centre). You’ll be inspired by words from Toronto poets like Randell Adjei, Lillian Allen, Bill Bissett, Shahaddah Jack, Mehanz Lamia, and Reem Rizk. Follow the stenciled poetry trail and scan the QR codes to learn about the poets and activate an augmented reality experience by Kaleidoscope.TO. These these vibrant words will guide your way to an unforgettable night!

Patrons can also enjoy live performances by some of Toronto’s finest poets at the Roaming Pop-Up Poets events (Nov 14-16, 21-23, 1-4 p.m.) taking place between City Hall and along John St. to the Rogers Centre. Before each Swift concert, poets will recite powerful original works inspired by the Eras Tour. The words will guide you through the city, offering moments of reflection, inspiration, and connection as you gear up for the show! Featured poets include Lillian Allen, David Bateman, Anto Chan, Margaret Christakos, Shelly Grace, Cassandra Myers, Stedmond Pardy, Tahira Rajwani, and Joshua “Scribe” Watkis.

Finally, the City Block Poetry events (Nov 14-16, 21-23, 1-5 p.m., ahead of the concerts) will allow Swifties and poetry lovers alike to unleash their inner poets. Join poet facilitators at Nathan Phillips Square, David Pecaut Square, and Campbell House to create poetic phrases, and remix song lyrics by arranging giant, colourful blocks to create your own poetic masterpieces! Snap a photo and share it on social media (#TOPoetsDepartment). These events will allow you to get creative, connect with the community, and be part of a poetic adventure. Featured poets include Shahadda Jack, Alessandra Naccarato, Charlie Petch.

The best Toronto shops to find Taylor Swift Eras-inspired tour outfits

So, you’re probably trying to figure out what to wear to all these events — thankfully, there are more than a few places in Toronto to find Taylor Swift Eras-inspired tour outfits! To emulate Swift’s Speak Now era, opt for lavender gowns with floral embellishments and lots of layered tulle! Shop at Black Daffodil — this online clothing boutique that supports Canadian brands and offers the cutest selection of vintage-style dresses with princess-like silhouettes and dream-like vibes. For more vintage and romantic aesthetics, check out I Miss You Vintage (63 Ossington Ave.) and Courage My Love for accessories.

Channel Swift’s Reputation album era, in edgy and sleek black and metallic pieces, leotards, high-waisted shorts and pants, rock-star-like leather jackets and tight tanks. Artizia has super cute vegan leather pieces and minis to browse through to create your own Reputation outfit. For leather garb, check out Black Market Vintage and Black Market Underground for vintage thrasher fashion.

For Red era Swifties, opt for solid, bold colors (like red dresses, skirts, accessories, etc.), layers (e.g. with cardigans), as well as a mix of vintage and preppy pieces, like polka dots, Peter Pan collars, high-waisted shorts and skirts and A-line dresses. Coal Miner’s Daughter (1360A Queen St. E. and other locations) is the perfect place for easygoing shapes as well as feminine dresses and accessories (so you can create a layered look). Also visit Common Sort (1414 Queen St. W., 760 Queen St. E, 444 Bloor St. W.) for cozy knits (clothing is usually organised loosely by colour so you can find that perfect all-red piece). Click here for more places you can shop at across the city to emulate Swift’s iconic Eras.

Swift’s Economic Influence on the city

More than 240,000 concert-goers are expected at Toronto’s Eras concerts (with tons of out-of-town visitors), contributing to an estimated $282 million in economic impact and over $152 million in direct spending in the city! Of the $152 million in direct spending, $141 million (or about 93 per cent of the money) is estimated to come from tourists and $11 million will come from local Swifties. The direct and indirect tax impacts of Swift’s concerts are expected to generate nearly $40 million in tax revenue across all levels of government!