Ticketless Taylor Swift fans hoping for a “Taylgate” party in Vancouver are out of luck.
The gatherings outside venues have become a hallmark of Swift’s Eras Tour, but officials in Vancouver are actively discouraging fans without tickets to avoid the BC Place stadium district for the three shows on Dec. 6, 7 and 8.
In a media briefing Thursday, Chris May, general manager of B.C. Place, confirmed that areas around the stadium will be strictly limited to ticket holders for Swift’s shows, which mark the end of her record-breaking tour.
“Please, if you do not have tickets, there is no reason to Taylgate,” May said, adding that officials are “not going to alter” their plans.
“There is no designated outside gathering zone. Our focus is on keeping ticket holders and guests safe.”
When the Eras Tour touched down in Toronto this month, an unofficial Taylgate party was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre near the Rogers Centre concert venue. But there are no such plans in Vancouver.
In a briefing on Thursday about Vancouver’s preparations for the concerts, officials said overnight camping outside the stadium will be banned, roads around the stadium will be closed from noon to midnight on show days, and a fence will be erected around the stadium perimeter early next week.
Sgt. Steve Addison with the Vancouver Police Department gives Taylor Swift fans tips for avoiding ticket scams as the superstar singer’s Eras Tour prepares to land in Vancouver.
“I think the biggest thing to remember is that while these are the three closing shows of the biggest tour in the history of entertainment, they aren’t the only things happening in Vancouver that weekend,” May said, pointing to Canucks games, as well as the nearby Cirque du Soleil show.
Fans disappointed by directive
Swiftie Emma Reekie said she has tickets to the Dec. 6 show, but intended to Taylgate the next two nights.
“I’m just disappointed that Vancouver and B.C. Place made that decision,” the Langley, B.C., resident said Thursday.
“I wanted to Taylgate simply because it’s the last stop on the tour, and everybody needs to be able to enjoy it, whether we have tickets or not.”
But Reekie said she doesn’t think the warnings will deter fans from gathering outside the stadium to hear snippets of Swift’s performance.
‘Significant police presence’: VPD
Police, city, stadium and transport officials told the briefing that 160,000 fans have tickets for the shows on Dec. 6, 7 and 8, and up to 40 per cent are international travellers.
Vancouver Police Sgt. Steve Addison said there would be a “significant police presence” in the area, but didn’t give numbers.
“This is something we have been planning since the moment we learned Taylor Swift was coming to Vancouver,” he said.
The giant inflatable friendship bracelet that has adorned other Eras Tour venues will be draped on B.C. Place and police horses will also wear bracelets around their necks, gifted by the Toronto Police Service.
Addison said police are drawing on the experiences of other cities, including Toronto, in order to develop safety plans to deal with large crowds. He noted there is added excitement because the tour concludes in the city.
“That anticipation of that buzz is unlike anything that we’ve seen,” he said.
“We anticipate possibly in excess of 300,000 people over the course of that weekend, just in the stadium district alone, and our major goal — our only goal — is [to] foster an environment that’s safe and memorable so that people who have anticipated these shows for so long can come and have a weekend to remember.”