The headline-grabbing frenzy to secure tickets to Taylor Swift鈥檚 Toronto shows is a culmination of the pop star鈥檚 鈥渦nique鈥� status in music history and her brilliant marketing skills, says a professor who taught a course on the subject.
Jamie Gillies, a communications and public policy professor who led the 鈥淐ommunications and Taylor Swift鈥� course at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, says it鈥檚 no surprise that many Swifties were left on waitlists 鈥� or shut out altogether 鈥� in their attempts so far to buy coveted tickets for the only Canadian stop of the global Eras Tour.
鈥淚 think the challenge with Toronto is it鈥檚 six shows for 40 million people (across Canada), right? So they鈥檙e probably the most in-demand tickets, even more than the ones that have happened in U.S. and Europe, simply because there鈥檚 so many people trying to go to these six shows,鈥� Gillies said in an interview.
The first day of Ticketmaster presales on Wednesday was marked by celebration and disappointment, as some fans scored seats for the first two nights of Swift鈥檚 Toronto stop in November 2024 while others were wait-listed. When the next two dates went on sale Thursday, fans took to social media to report similar outcomes: the lucky ones got tickets while many more received the dreaded waitlist email.
Ticketmaster is staggering ticket sales for the six shows at Toronto鈥檚 Rogers Centre over three days to avoid online technical issues Swift fans may have encountered for past shows. Buyers must have already registered for and received a 鈥渧erified fan鈥� sale code in order to get in the virtual queue for the tickets.
Tickets are already being listed for resale on websites such as StubHub and SeatGeek for thousands of dollars each.
For fans like Emily Lessard, the disappointment of losing the Ticketmaster lottery is only compounded by the exorbitant price of resale tickets.
鈥淭he nose bleeds at the Rogers Centre 鈥� people are selling those for $1,700 per ticket and it鈥檚 just outrageous,鈥� said the 29-year-old Cambridge, Ont., resident who was planning to buy one ticket with money borrowed from family members had she been successful in getting a Ticketmaster presale code.
鈥淚t鈥檚 upsetting because 鈥� I鈥檝e been a Taylor Swift fan for more than half my life. I鈥檝e literally got YouTube videos of myself out there when I was like 14, singing her songs and stuff. And it just really sucks that only certain fans who can afford to go can go.鈥�
Gillies, who hopes to score his own tickets through the Royal Bank鈥檚 exclusive allocation of seats for its Avion members next week, said Swift鈥檚 enormous popularity means that her fans are actually 鈥渉appy to spend money鈥� to see her shows and buy related merchandise.
鈥淲hat makes it so interesting is that people are generally satisfied if they鈥檙e able to get tickets to a Taylor Swift show for $1,000 each,鈥� he said, calling it a 鈥済enuine鈥� phenomenon.
Swift and her team have developed marketing and branding strategies that revolve around her ability 鈥渢o sell herself, to sell authenticity, sell people the idea 鈥� of being close to Taylor Swift,鈥� Gillies said.
鈥淚 think the big thing that makes her incredibly unique is she came along in the music industry at such a fascinating time, sort of between millennials and gen Z, and the sort of newer, younger kids. She kind of hit at a particular time where she carried with her about 20 years鈥� worth of fans,鈥� he added, calling her 鈥渢he voice of a couple of generations鈥� and 鈥渙ne of the greatest songwriters of all time.鈥�
Gillies said the demand for Swift is so big, 鈥渟he could put on a show every night of the year 鈥� so 300 plus shows 鈥� and they would all sell out.鈥�
Losing out on Swift tickets is more than just missing a fun concert, Lessard said.
鈥淲hen you go to her concerts, you鈥檙e all friends. We exchange friendship bracelets and stuff like that. So it sucks to be in this position, but I also know I feel some solidarity because I know that a lot of other people are in the same position. So we can bond in our Taylor Swift disappointment era, I guess you could say.鈥�
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