Vancouver’s biggest concert dates of the year are finally upon us, as Taylor Swift hits the stage Friday night at BC Place for the first of her final three Eras Tour concerts.
It’s been over a year since Swift announced her Vancouver concert dates and the palpable excitement has taken over the city.
Many fans have waited a long time to see their favourite star live and in the flesh.
Sixteen-year-old Tamee is going to see Swift twice this weekend, and she says it’s the star’s relatability that makes her such a fan.
“I can relate to her no problem,” said Tamee. “She’s a big pop star, but she still feels the same way as other people, so she’s like normal people, just like us.”
Tamee says she is very grateful to her parents, as the first set of tickets was a birthday gift, while she’ll be going to another show with her friend — although with an obstructed view behind the stage.
She says she and her family spent close to $900 altogether on the tickets to the two Swift concerts.
She says she’s looking forward to hearing her favourite song, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” at the concert.
Tamee says Swift’s success is very uplifting to her and other fans.
“Even though she is super popular, she is a very successful person and it’s inspiring for me and I know for lots of other people.”
Tamee’s excitement is not unique, as hundreds of people have spent the last two days lining up in the cold, waiting for more than three hours at a time to get their hands on some Era’s Tour merchandise, including the coveted blue crew neck. Even Gastown’s iconic clock chime has been changed to Swift’s hit, ‘Shake it off.’
The City of Vancouver is warning of much slower traffic this weekend in the downtown core.
There will be full closures of several major arteries around the BC Place concert venue between noon and midnight on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, including West Georgia and Robson streets, Pacific Boulevard, and the Cambie Bridge off-ramps near the site.
These are the final concert dates for Swift’s nearly two-year-long, record-breaking Era’s Tour on what’s set to be a busy night in the downtown core with the Vancouver Canucks playing next door at Rogers Arena at the same time.
Opening night of the Era’s Tour closing act starts at 7 p.m. Friday at BC Place, with the final two shows set for Saturday and Sunday.
The Eras Tour concerts in Vancouver are presented by Rogers, the parent company of 1130 NewsRadio and CityNews.