After months of speculation and urges by fans and politicians alike, Taylor Swift will finally make her much-awaited pit stop in Canada.
The upcoming concert, scheduled over a year in advance, is stirring up astronomical demand. For one Winnipeg family, it’s also harbouring a whirlwind of excitement.
Jayda and Megan Neiles are sisters and lifelong Swifties. The two were lucky enough to snag four tickets to the Eras Tour concert in Toronto in November 2024.
“We went to her concert when she was in Winnipeg — The Red Tour,” said Megan.
For her sister, Jayda, it was the Red album that got the duo more in love with the artist. The 20-year-old added that the family wasn’t sure at first if they could make it to next year’s show.
“We’re thankful we have family friends in Toronto… they gave us hope, saying, ‘Sign up for presale and get codes,'” said Jayda.
The process of buying tickets involved signing up for presale codes. Once the codes were sent, Jayda said she was put in a queue before being able to purchase the tickets. To get through this, she had multiple screens, each open to different things from seat details to her Ticketmaster account.
“I didn’t think I was going to get one,” said Jayda. “As soon as it went through, we were crying and screaming with joy.”
This process of presale, according to Ticketmaster, was staggered in order to accommodate high demand and prevent any possible online technical issues.
With four tickets in hand, the sisters look to be among the many filling Toronto’s Rogers Centre, a stadium that can seat 50,000. They plan to make the trip to Toronto along with their mother and a family friend.
“If anyone can do it, Jayda can,” said Megan, reflecting on the stress she and her family had hoping for their shot at the coveted tickets.
“She’s just smart — insanely smart, prepared, (and) organized. If I touched it, (I’d) ruin it. I just let her take it away.”
Each ticket cost $400.
While Jayda believes the order was hefty, she said she’s looking forward to already planning outfits and making friendship bracelets. The 15-month wait, she added, may seem like a long time but it’s enough to prepare for. So far, she said she’s looking to possibly match her outfit with Swift’s 1989 album.
“I’m thinking her debut album,” said Megan. “Probably some boot-cut jeans. Like a blue-green top, some super tight curled hair — that’s how she wore her hair then.”
— with files from Global’s Katherine Dornian