logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
23m 45s

Toronto’s Taylor Swift Era

THE GLOBE AND MAIL
About this episode

After nearly two years of touring across five continents, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to Canada. Thursday is the first of six dates in Toronto, and the tour will wrap up with three dates in Vancouver in December. When the Eras Tour rolls through town, money tends to follow; fans and concert-goers spend on merch, hotels, restaurants… and of course, tickets. Tickets make for attractive auction items, and people fundraising for charitable causes have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars

For some people, thousands of Swifties descending upon downtown Toronto can be more like a ‘nightmare dressed like a daydream.’ Public transit systems, like Metrolinx and the TTC, say they’re ‘ready for it,’ but that amount of people will no doubt make getting around the city a challenge. Even couples planning their weddings were warned against booking dates while Swift is in town. 

Josh O’Kane is here to break down how businesses are getting in on the fun, and how to make the most of the Eras Tour weekends, whether or not you’re a Swiftie. 

The Globe has created Taylor Swift playlists for every type of listener: for people who want to rock out to her greatest hits, to the elder millennials who loved her since high school, to the songs to put your kids to sleep, to the ones who are soundtracking their walk to the stadium with swagger, to the sneaky covers to convert the non-Swifties and ending with the classic, lyrical ballads to make you shed a tear. https://open.spotify.com/user/kswfenu8tkbjszl0ebou72cgq/playlists

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Up next
Yesterday
How seriously is corporate Canada taking DEI these days?
Five years ago, hundreds of Canadian companies publicly pledged to address anti-Black racism. They signed the BlackNorth Initiative, which has since become the most high-profile DEI effort in corporate Canada.Many of the commitments came with a 2025 deadline. The Globe and Mail s ... Show More
22m 59s
Oct 8
Key takeaways from Carney’s second meeting with Trump
Five months after his first appearance in the Oval Office, Prime Minister Mark Carney made his second trip down to Washington. And while he said little during the 30-minute press conference, talks between the countries carried on throughout the day and into the night.Doug Saunder ... Show More
25m 19s
Oct 6
How Trump’s peace plan for Gaza could end the war
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a 20-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza. He did so alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it a “critical step”. Hamas has since responded, and agreed to parts of the plan — notably, the release of all r ... Show More
25m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
Eras Tour exclusive: The wild stats from Taylor Swift's takeover
Headlines: The Chaos in France, new poll shows Peter Dutton on track for major election win, former defence secretary to lead urgent AUKUS review, Melbourne billionaire Adrian Portelli charged over unlawful lottery and you tell us your favourite Christmas movies! Deep dive: Taylo ... Show More
23m 19s
Jun 2023
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour: Shameless’ Michelle Andrews breaks it down
Taylor Swift's Eras tour has taken over the globe and getting your hands on a ticket has become a hot commodity, with general sale tickets being released in Australia on Friday. The pop superstar has become the second richest self-made woman in music after Rihanna and this week t ... Show More
20m 41s
Aug 2024
Can Taylor Swift really bring a £1bn economic gold rush?
Musician and billionaire Taylor Swift is so influential that a new economic term has been coined to refer to her impact: 'Swiftonomics'.     From concerts and tours to merchandise and deals, the power of Swift's brand not only earns her money but boosts economies by millions. One ... Show More
19m 46s
May 2024
Taylor Swift : l’icône pop que personne n’attendait
A 35 ans, Taylor Swift peut s’enorgueillir de booster des économies entières, et peut-être même de pouvoir influencer le cours de la présidentielle américaine à venir. Car avec sa tournée « The Eras Tour », qui avait généré plus d’un milliard de dollars de recettes en décembre 20 ... Show More
24m 41s
Dec 2024
Taylor Swift, l'icône pop que personne n'attendait [REDIFF]
A 35 ans, Taylor Swift peut s’enorgueillir de booster des économies entières, et peut-être même de pouvoir influencer le cours de la présidentielle américaine à venir. Car avec sa tournée « The Eras Tour », qui avait généré plus d’un milliard de dollars de recettes en décembre 20 ... Show More
25m 26s
May 2025
Ellen DeTraumatizing Taylor Swift 💃🏻 TayRewind
GET TICKETS TO THE SNERAS TOUR / SHOP SNERAS MERCH: https://www.evolutionofasnake.com Before she was known as the host who got canceled, Ellen DeGeneres was the queen of daytime, and Taylor Swift was a frequent guest. This week on TayRewind, we're unpacking the cultural power of ... Show More
1h 45m
Mar 2024
Taylor Swift Derangement Syndrome (w/ B.D. McClay)
Why are Republicans and the right losing their minds over Taylor Swift, the gifted songwriter and globe-bestriding pop star? Why do they think her NFL tight end and Super Bowl-winning boyfriend is secretly gay—precisely because he's dating Taylor Swift? Why is this slice of Ameri ... Show More
1h 18m
Feb 2024
Is Taylor Swift bad for the environment?
Taylor Swift has finished her run of sold-out concerts here in Australia, playing in front of over 600,000 fans throughout the tour. Yet with events of this size comes a price to our environment. Many fans fly interstate or internationally, purely to be at those shows, which also ... Show More
12m 38s
Aug 2024
Can AI solve fans’ concert ticket woes?
Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” has shattered records, crashed websites and broken the hearts of fans vying for tickets. The BBC’s Sam Gruet says AI could help fans purchase tickets for a fair price and without the risk of fraud. 
5m 12s
Sep 28
Ed Sheeran's Epic Comeback: New Album, Massive Tour, and Inspiring Health Journey
Ed Sheeran BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.Ed Sheeran has been everywhere these past few days with headline-worthy moves on several fronts. According to People magazine and a widely covered segment on SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series, Sheeran revealed he’s in the best shape of hi ... Show More
3m 5s