A Taylor Swift sign adorns the front of Rogers Centre ahead of the opening night of Swift's Eras tour in Toronto, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Pop super star Taylor Swift is set to kick off the first of six shows in Toronto tonight. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
TORONTO – Pop superstar Taylor Swift is set to kick off the first of six shows in Toronto tonight.
The singer brings her record-breaking tour for a Canadian leg that hits Rogers Centre this weekend and next.
The visit has sparked myriad side events including several fan-focused parties and tourism promotions.
It also has the city bracing for possible traffic snarl as downtown workers and concertgoers hit the streets at around the same time.
Here’s the latest:
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TAYLOR TRAFFIC
Parts of downtown Toronto will be closed to cars today in anticipation of Taylor Swift concertgoers.
Some roadways near Rogers Centre are restricted to local traffic or closed altogether for an expected influx of people attending tonight’s concert or side events.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to routes around the stadium.
The GO Transit system, which connects the Greater Toronto Area, added extra trips and extended hours in some regions.
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LABOUR STRIFE
Skyrocketing hotel prices during Taylor Swift’s concerts have spurred labour action by a group of hotel service workers in Toronto.
They say they will hold a rally today outside the Fairmont Royal York to demand salary increases as they seek a new contract with the hotel.
The union arm Unite Here Local 75 represents 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area.
Some hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Toronto are priced up to 10 times more than other weekends, with some advertised for as much as $2,000 per night.
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EARLY ARRIVALS
Fans decked out in Taylor Swift’s concert merchandise were among the morning commuters Thursday morning at Union Station.
A handful of Swifties in T-shirts emblazoned with dates for the Eras Tour munched on croissants at the transit hub, a few minutes’ walk from the concert venue, Rogers Centre.
In the heart of the financial district a few blocks over, one young woman in Swift-esque heart-shaped glasses hit a Starbucks alongside the weekday office rush.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
