Some fans are celebrating while others were left disappointed as the first batch of tickets for Taylor Swift's Toronto shows went up for grabs at steep prices.
Two diehard Swifties in their 20s were among the lucky ones who scored two VIP tickets to see the pop star perform at the Rogers Centre in November 2024.
Anastasia Kountouris and her best friend, Helen Patriarche, say they waited 45 minutes in an online queue to access the Ticketmaster website and purchase the tickets, after previously registering for and receiving a "verified fan" presale code.
They secured two VIP tickets that cost $750 each and say that other tickets on the site ranged from $150 to $2,000.
Many other fans remain on the waitlist for all six Toronto dates, even after applying for a verified fan presale code using multiple registrations.
Demand is high for the only Canadian stop on Swift's global Eras Tour, which is expected to draw fans from all over the country and beyond.
Tickets for the first two Toronto dates — Nov. 14 and 15, 2024 — went on sale Wednesday. Sales for the other four dates will follow in pairs over Thursday and Friday.
Kountouris, 24, and Patriarche, 23, scored tickets for the first night.
"I didn't even expect a presale code let alone being able to go to the first show in Toronto," said Kountouris.
"It doesn't feel real yet," Patriarche added.
"Once we got the email saying we got the tickets, both of us just sat there with a sigh of relief on FaceTime," Kountouris said. "There was nothing to be said it was just, 'I can't believe it's over.'"
Both friends called the process "insane" and credited luck for their tickets. "It's kind of like 'The Hunger Games.' It's just a lottery at this point," Patriarche said.
Ticketmaster is staggering the presale times and dates to avoid site crashes and technical issues fans encountered when they tried to buy tickets for Swift's past concerts.
Holly Mounsteven didn't have luck on her side, even after she collaborated with friends and family to enrol 16 different Ticketmaster accounts into the Swift verified fan sale registration. None of them moved past the waitlist stage as of Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” said the Toronto resident, who noted she’s already attended a Detroit tour date and will head to Paris next summer for a second show, so she doesn’t want to sound too sour.
Instead, she’s launched a TikTok account with advice for other Swifties who hope to get tickets for another Toronto date, assuring them that despite some disappointment with the Ticketmaster lottery experience, it is still an improvement from the glitches and delays fans experienced when U.S. dates first went on sale last year.
Miri Makin, co-founder of TSwift Dance Party Canada, said she's received hundreds of direct messages from fans "genuinely hurting" and sad at the prospect of not seeing Swift's show.
Makin said she knows of 20 to 30 people who were all put on the waitlist for Toronto tickets. She urges anyone in the same boat not to give up hope.
Makin, who hosts Taylor Swift-inspired dance events across Canada, said conversations with her group co-founder Victoria Morton quickly changed from self-pity to: "How do we bring Eras... energy to people across Canada who were wait-listed?"
The group has so far hosted 70 events across 21 cities in nine provinces in Canada, and is now thinking about another party.
"For anyone who didn't get tickets... It'll hopefully help to reduce the FOMO (fear of missing out) and it'll feel a lot better to be amidst the community of Swifties during that time than just being alone (and) sad that you're not there."
One Taylor Swift fan said that if she is not able to secure a ticket to any of the superstar's Toronto dates, she'll stand outside the venue all six nights anyway.
“I'm totally OK with standing outside of the stadium with every single other Swifty and tailgating for all six shows,” said 27-year-old Jayde Fleming, who lives in Barrie, Ont. “I'm gonna get an Airbnb for myself to make sure that I'm in Toronto all six days.”
In the meantime, her ticket-scoring strategy involves careful co-ordination with her own group of Swifties, who will each attempt to purchase tickets for different dates to ensure everyone gets to see at least one show.
Many fans are turning to social media for tips on how to beat the Ticketmaster web traffic and get a prized concert ticket into their hands.
One manifestation making the rounds in TikTok videos is: “I am worthy of experiencing the magic of Taylor Swift's concert. The universe conspires to bring me to the front row. I attract positivity and abundance in all areas of my life including getting tickets to the concert."
Those without a verified fan sale code could be out of luck since no general public ticket sales have been announced yet. But at least one other opportunity will be available to Royal Bank customers who are Avion Rewards members -- they will get their own ticket sale window following the verified fan sale dates.
-- with files from David Friend
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2023.
Nairah Ahmed, The Canadian Press
