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㽶ƵֱTaylgate㽶Ƶֱ parties out for Swift㽶Ƶֱs B.C. Place shows, stadium site fenced off

Officials are actually discouraging people without tickets to stay away from the area
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Taylor Swift performs during the opening show of the Toronto dates of The Eras Tour, Nov. 14. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Ticketless Taylor Swift fans hoping for a 㽶ƵֱTaylgate㽶Ƶֱ party in Vancouver are out of luck.

The gatherings outside venues have become a hallmark of Swift㽶Ƶֱs Eras Tour, but officials in Vancouver are actively discouraging fans without tickets to avoid the BC Place stadium district for the three shows on Dec. 6, 7 and 8.

In a media briefing Thursday, Chris May, general manager of BC Place, confirmed that areas around the stadium will be strictly limited to ticket holders for Swift㽶Ƶֱs shows, which mark the end of her record-breaking tour.

㽶ƵֱPlease, if you do not have tickets, there is no reason to Taylgate,㽶Ƶֱ May said, adding that officials are 㽶Ƶֱnot going to alter㽶Ƶֱ their plans.

㽶ƵֱThere is no designated outside gathering zone. Our focus is on keeping ticket holders and guests safe.㽶Ƶֱ

When the Eras Tour touched down in Toronto this month, an unofficial Taylgate party was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre near the Rogers Centre concert venue. But there are no such plans in Vancouver.

Overnight camping outside the stadium will be banned, roads around the stadium will be closed from noon to midnight on show days, and a fence will be erected around the stadium perimeter early next week, officials said.

㽶ƵֱI think the biggest thing to remember is that while these are the three closing shows of the biggest tour in the history of entertainment, they aren㽶Ƶֱt the only things happening in Vancouver that weekend,㽶Ƶֱ May said, pointing to Canucks games as well as the nearby Cirque du Soleil show.

Police, city, stadium and transport officials told the briefing that 160,000 fans have tickets for the shows on Dec. 6, 7 and 8, and up to 40 per cent are international travellers.

Vancouver Police Sgt. Steve Addison said there would be a 㽶Ƶֱsignificant police presence㽶Ƶֱ in the area, but didn㽶Ƶֱt give numbers.

㽶ƵֱThis is something we have been planning since the moment we learned Taylor Swift was coming to Vancouver,㽶Ƶֱ he said.

The giant inflatable friendship bracelet that has adorned other Eras Tour venues will be draped on BC Place, and police horses will also wear bracelets around their necks, gifted from the Toronto Police Service.

Addison said police are drawing on the experiences of other cities, including Toronto, in order to develop safety plans to deal with large crowds. He noted there is added excitement because the tour concludes in the city.

㽶ƵֱThat anticipation of that buzz is unlike anything that we㽶Ƶֱve seen,㽶Ƶֱ he said.

㽶ƵֱWe anticipate possibly in excess of 300,000 people over the course of that weekend, just in the stadium district alone and our major goal 㽶Ƶֱ our only goal 㽶Ƶֱ is (to) foster an environment that㽶Ƶֱs safe and memorable, so that people who have anticipated these shows for so long can come and have a weekend to remember.㽶Ƶֱ

Swift㽶Ƶֱs Vienna shows, which were set to occur in August as part of the European leg of the tour, were cancelled after authorities warned of a terror plot.

Addison said the department was also aware of safety incidents in other cities.

㽶ƵֱThere㽶Ƶֱs currently no specific safety threat that we㽶Ƶֱre aware of, but we continue to monitor and we㽶Ƶֱll continue to assess and reassess. Public safety is obviously our top priority,㽶Ƶֱ he said.

Traffic disruptions are expected, officials said, and people are being encouraged to leave their cars at home if possible.

Downtown parking garages are open, but there will be road closures in the stadium district over the weekend. An allocated passenger drop-off and pickup zone will also be set up for concertgoers.

TransLink is also responding by providing a fare-based shuttle between the stadium and Waterfront station, continuing Skytrain services for the Canada and Expo lines until after 1 a.m. and running a midnight West Coast Express train on Dec. 7.

Officials told the briefing that stadium bathrooms will be modified because up to 95 per cent of concertgoers are expected to be female.

Fans who downloaded their tickets before Nov. 16 are being asked to redownload them to make sure they have the most up-to-date information.





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