It’s been a cruel summer for Canadian Swifties after many found it nearly impossible to obtain concert tickets to Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour.”
Taylor Swift announced on Aug. 3 she would be heading to Toronto in November 2024 with a total of six shows. Swift plans to play three shows from Nov. 14 to 16, and then three more Nov. 21 to 23.
To get tickets, close to 30 million fans had to as a “Verified Fan” by Aug. 5. Verified Fan is a system implemented by Ticketmaster to avoid resellers and bots, and is designed to ensure ticket prices remain reasonable, and mass purchases of tickets by scalpers are avoided.
Though achieving Verified Fan status gives fans access to ticket sales, it doesn’t guarantee tickets.
In the days after registration, many fans were met with disappointment when they received an email that noted they were waitlisted, making their chances at securing tickets slim to none.
Ticketmaster doesn’t discriminate when it comes to receiving tickets. Queen’s University Taylor Swift Society (QUTSS) Co-Chairs Christopher Martelli, Sci ’25, and Kate Moses, Kin ’25, while dedicated Swift ers, were unable to secure tickets themselves.
“Most people I know that tried to get tickets to the Toronto show didn’t get them or the presale codes,” Martelli said in an interview with The Journal.
Similarly, Moses said many of her friends and family ed for Verified Fan and almost no one received a code for the Toronto show.
For those who were lucky enough to receive a code, the process wasn’t smooth. Getting tickets to Swift’s show in Boston proved equally challenging when Martelli failed to secure codes for tickets in Toronto.
“The process of getting tickets was extremely stressful,” she said. “I sat in the queue all day waiting to get into the Ticketmaster portal to buy tickets. It took six hours before I was able to get into Ticketmaster and view the tickets,” Martelli said.
Though ticket acquisition was a stressful and disappointing experience for many, the for Swift hasn’t faltered.
“When talking with friends and family who didn’t get tickets, I don’t think it impacted how they enjoyed Taylor Swift’s music or their for her,” Moses said.
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