Taylor Swift fans craft ways around bracelet rules for Vancouver shows

The Friendship Bracelet Dilemma at Taylor Swift’s Vancouver Shows

When BC Place stadium announced a ban on loose objects and large bags for Taylor Swift’s upcoming shows in Vancouver, it left some fans in a quandary – what to do with the hundreds of friendship bracelets that are typically exchanged at the pop star’s concerts?

This restriction has prompted fans, like Christina Bates from Nashville, Tenn., to come up with innovative solutions.

“I can comfortably fit 40 bracelets on each arm,” she shared. “I tested it out, and I can wear 40 without any circulation issues.”

Bates had crafted over 200 bracelets for Friday’s show.

Swift’s highly-anticipated Era’s Tour will conclude after her three-night run in Vancouver.

Security measures are stringent for the shows, with BC Place setting up barricades around the stadium and prohibiting the traditional “Taylgate” gatherings where non-ticket holders gather outside venues to listen for free.

“We share in your excitement for exchanging friendship bracelets,” BC Place stated in a bulletin released last week.

“However, all friendship bracelets must be worn or carried into the stadium in compliance with the bag policy. Carabiners (metal or plastic) that hold bracelets are strictly prohibited.”

Fans have expressed their discontent with the regulations online, with one fan mentioning on a forum that she had “just ordered adorable heart and star-shaped carabiners to organize my bracelets.”

While some fans grumble, others like Bates have devised strategies. One fan plans to use a cat collar as a garter to bring her bracelets into the stadium, while others intend to attach them to their clothing or wear cargo pants.

Some have opted for a more straightforward approach: trading bracelets outside the arena.

Bates initially aimed to make 100 bracelets but ended up exceeding that count over the year since she secured tickets to Friday’s show.

“I’d be listening to Taylor or watching a livestream and think, ‘I should make a bracelet with that lyric,’ so I just kept creating them,” she explained.

“We are officially closed now because we have run out of letters.”

BC Place has not provided an immediate response regarding the ban on bracelets with carabiners.

The policy limits attendees to a small purse or a clear bag no larger than 12 inches square.

The fan-initiated tradition of exchanging bracelets stems from a lyric in Swift’s song “You’re On Your Own, Kid”: “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.”

Swifties embraced the concept wholeheartedly.

Mikayla Crook, an Edmonton resident, has attended four previous Taylor Swift tours.

“Over the past year, I’ve probably made close to 800 bracelets,” she revealed.

Crook estimated spending up to $300 on supplies and hosting bracelet-making gatherings for friends who will accompany her to Friday’s concert. She aims to trade 300 bracelets at the event.

“I’ve discovered that they can be attached to your body, so I bought safety pins,” she noted. “I’ll pin it to my bodysuit because then it becomes part of my outfit.”

This report by The Canadian Press was originally published on December 5, 2024.