Tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans will bring their glitter and Eras Tour fits to Vancouver next month, but not everyone is wrapped up in Taylor Mania.
Even if you are a fan of the music superstar, you may not have scored tickets to one of her three shows at BC Place from December 6 to 8. Or maybe you might not have been able to afford them.
Plus, Taylor has been discussed almost daily on radio, TV, and social media — not to mention digital publications like ourselves with our pre-concert stories (sorry, not sorry).
That’s why we’ve rounded up a few places where you can escape the madness if you’re already over it.
Take a cheap(ish) flight
While flights and hotel rates during the concert dates are already out of hand, getting out of Vancouver isn’t looking too bad. You could fly to Las Vegas roundtrip for about $230 out of YVR or to London for $800. Flights to Honolulu range from about $400 to $600 and could put you on a beach enjoying a poke bowl while your friends and family lament the crowds on transit or the sky-high ridesharing fees.
But if you leave town, definitely don’t list your apartment on underground websites to illegally make thousands of dollars, which could be used to pay rent for the rest of the year or anything. Like these folks are doing.
Roadtrip away
Lisa Liidemann/Shutterstock
If flying isn’t your cup of tea, may we suggest going against the flow and leaving town by road? Local ski hills are set to be open for a potentially less busy day on the slopes. We would suggest checking out Manning Park, Big White, or Silverstar, to name a few, as they are farther away and are definitely worth a road trip.
Or, head south. Mount Baker is in Washington and is a great option. Speaking of the US, with so many people expected to cross north, maybe the south crossings won’t be so long of a wait? Could that mean a potentially quiet Trader Joe’s trip? We can only hope.
Here are some of our favourite road trip spots for Fall.
Do a social media blackout
Meditate in Vancouver
There are so many ways to get offline in our beautiful province. Sometimes, we just need a reminder. You could bike in some of the less-busy-but-arguably-equally-beautiful spots like Richmond, Maple Ridge, and Coquitlam or join a meditation or yoga class for some relaxation and peacefulness. It also conveniently includes a cell phone-free space.
Not willing to give up the ‘gram? You can click “not interested” on anything Taylor-related, and it will alter your algorithm to block those videos and photos.
Find the other anti-fans
@yvrunderground/Instagram
While we can’t promise that these spots won’t have people talking about Taylor Swift, at least we can guarantee they will be talking and listening to something else as well. Vancouver’s underground music scene has several offerings, and they are all held in unique spots, perfect for pure, unfiltered and likely pop-free expression. Read more about these spaces in our feature on DIY music spots in the city.
Or head somewhere a little bit more mainstream, like one of Vancouver’s most iconic live music venues, The Rickshaw Theatre, which is a great spot to check out in December. One show falls perfectly on one of the BC Place nights. On December 7, you can check out musician and visual artist Jean Dawson‘s show, which promises a one-of-a-kind sound with influences of rap, rock, and Latin fusion.
On December 6, you could also escape into another universe at the Vancouver International Film Festival’s showing of Flow, an animated feature about a black cat with tsunami trauma. Also, it is fairly unlikely that the event will have anything Taylor-related.
Take to the sea
Scott Heaney/Shutterstock
You can rent a BC ferry boat for $1,700 or a kayak from Granville Island for much less than that and enjoy a Taylor Swift-free float wherever the ocean takes you.
Sadly, you can’t stay out there for the full three days (unless you rent a houseboat or buy this one) but it will at least guarantee a bit of a break from the city and the fans for a short time and maybe you’ll come back refreshed and ready to “Shake it Off.”
What do you think of the upcoming Eras Tour excitement? Let us know in the comments below.