VANCOUVER — Lyndsey Evans freely admits she would pack her bags and follow Taylor Swift around the world if she could.
Evans, who recently moved from Vancouver to Toronto, has been to concerts in four of Swift's previous tours and has tickets to an upcoming show in Vienna this summer in the Eras Tour.
An extension of the Eras Tour was announced Thursday for Vancouver in December 2024.
Evans said she has already pre-registered for a chance at the tickets, but she also has no plans to give up her Vienna seat if she gets Vancouver tickets.
"Absolutely, no. No. I will go to that tour as many times as I can. I would follow her around and just go to every single stop if I could," she said.
Three concert dates are set for B.C. Place in Vancouver on Dec. 6, 7 and 8, next year, making it the second Canadian stop on the tour, and Swift's first tour stop in the city in nearly a decade.
Evans said she's been a fan of the "Anti-Hero" singer-songwriter since the very beginning and she connects many songs and albums to pivotal moments in her life.
"The songs just mean so much to me and then I feel like I just love her as a person too. So, it's just the whole package. I would die for Taylor Swift," she said.
Mackenzie Byers said her social media messages exploded as soon as Swift announced the Vancouver dates.
The founder of Vancity Swifties, which puts on Taylor Swift-themed dance parties at clubs around Vancouver, said local fans are excited for the chance to see their favourite artist.
"I had many, many responses saying how excited everyone was, how they had already pre-registered, and how they wanted us to do dance parties as post-events for after the concert," she said.
"And so, there's just a widespread amount of excitement in my DMs, which was really fun," she said, referring to her direct messages.
Byers said Swift was last in Vancouver in 2015, promoting the album 1989, but didn't stop in the city as part of her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour.
"I think that it means a lot to know that she is coming. And she has such a big fan base in Vancouver, clearly, and so I think that getting those Vancouver dates is very special," she said.
Rick Sellers, B.C. president for presenting sponsor Rogers Communications, said the venue, which lists its maximum capacity as 54,500, is the largest in the city.
Canada was initially left off the schedule for the tour and speculation swirled about the perceived snub before six Toronto concerts in November 2024 were announced this summer.
Sellers said the Vancouver shows were "not on the radar screen" when the Toronto concerts were made public.
He said Rogers put together a team to advocate for Canadian dates when none were initially announced.
"We were successful to get Toronto and then once we were able to lock down Toronto we spoke to the (Swift) team even further … and we were able to secure Vancouver as well," he said.
Rogers wasn't the only one advocating for Vancouver stops.
B.C. Premier David Eby posted on Instagram in September asking Swift to visit.
On Thursday, Eby took to X, formerly Twitter, to celebrate.
"Welcome to Vancouver, we’ve been waiting for you! I’m convinced it was my invitation that convinced Taylor Swift to come to B.C.," he posted.
"Not the sold-out venues worldwide, not that her biggest & best fans are in our province, not that she already planned to … Nope, can’t be any of those!"
Sellers said he couldn't comment on whether Rogers is attempting to negotiate more Canadian dates or locations.
Swifties can register for a code through Saturday, and those who make it through the lottery system can try to buy up to four tickets for the Vancouver shows starting Nov. 9.
Swift began her tour earlier this year, performing songs from each of her 10 albums, with the live show featuring an elaborate stage design that shifts as she moves from era to era.
As in other markets, fans seeking Vancouver tickets must pre-register with the company's Verified Fan page — a bid to reduce traffic to Ticketmaster's website and protect against online scalper bots.
Sellers acknowledged it can be difficult for fans to get their hands on tickets. He said Rogers is setting aside "hundreds" of premium seats to give away in a series of contests in the lead-up to the Canadian dates.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2023.
Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press
