Why Taylor Swift is Skipping Canada on Eras Tour

TORONTO –

Taylor Swift’s Canadian fans were left heartbroken and confused this week as they tried to understand why the pop superstar seems willing to skip their country on her Eras Tour.

Swift announced nearly 40 new dates on a tour that will see her wind through Mexico, Europe, Asia and Australia over the next year. The last show round lacks stops in Canada.

It raises questions as to why the “Cruel Summer” singer-songwriter, who is in the midst of an extensive summer tour in the United States, would choose not to bring her career-spanning three-hour show to Canada.

Neither Swift nor her management has commented on the decision, while her record label Universal Music Canada declined to comment.

Some in the music industry suggest that pinpointing just one possible reason is difficult.

“You’re trying to get into the mind of the person who has the biggest parasocial relationship with anyone in the world,” says Liam Killeen, who manages Canadian acts the Tea Party and Classified at Coalition Music.

“We just don’t know what she’s thinking.”

Here are some factors that may have influenced why Canadian Swifties can’t have nice things:

LOCATION SIZE IS IMPORTANT:

When it comes to selling out a stadium show, Canada just can’t compete. Many of Swift’s US concerts have been booked at major venues, including US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, which could seat 73,000 for each of the two nights she played, while the new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles will draw 69,000. per show over five nights in August. Canada’s stadiums don’t compete. For example, the Rogers Center in Toronto offers a top capacity of about 55,000 people for concerts, while other stadiums are the same size or smaller, meaning Swift would bring in less revenue per performance.

CANADA IS EXPENSIVE: Combine fewer stadium tickets to sell with the weaker Canadian dollar and the allure of playing in our biggest cities is starting to fade for some foreign acts. A representative for a local music agency says unfavorable exchange rates could put added pressure on trying to balance profits without a significant increase in ticket prices. With many concertgoers facing a rising cost of living, some artists have said they don’t want to carry the burden of fans who think they’re charging too much for the experience. Swift has already faced a round of negative attention over markups for her concerts in the US, with some fans paying thousands of dollars for resold tickets.

NO BAD BLOOD BUT SHE DON’T NEED US:

Sure, it seems like a given that Swift would be planning at least one concert date in Canada, especially since she’s played the country on all of her previous tours. And most pop superstars swing through at least Toronto, if not other big cities like Vancouver and Montreal. But some industry observers suggest that with Swift playing more than 50 dates south of the border this year, it’s possible her tour bookers decided Canadian fans already had plenty of chances to catch her in the States.

Todd Jenereaux, an executive at Republic Live, which hosts the Boots & Hearts country music festival in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, said many Canadians are willing to travel far for their favorite musicians.

“They’re quite willing, especially in the summer, to make it a vacation,” he said. “I bet the Nashville stops had a lot of Canadians at the Taylor Swift shows because it becomes part of the tourism business. They book a weekend, have their concert tickets, and the rest of the time they do Nashville stuff.”

CAN WE STILL GET BACK TOGETHER?:

Despite all the fuss around the lack of Canadian dates, it’s entirely possible that Swift hasn’t written us off. Major stadium tours sometimes swing across North America for a victory lap, as Elton John did with his retirement tour. John started in North America and came back two more times over the course of several years. Swift’s Eras Tour captures her 10 studio albums to date and comes as she re-records and re-releases her entire back catalog. With several more albums to go, that means there’s still enough empty space left on her touring schedule for the next few years to hit at least a few counties.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 23, 2022.