Calgary

Calgary Taylor Swift fans disappointed over singer's decision to skip Canada on new tour

The pop singer released a list of locations as part of her Eras world tour Tuesday, leaving thousands of Canadian fans dumbfounded. Canada’s conspicuous absence from the coveted list has been hard for fans to digest.

'We're such a big country that she should at least come to two cities'

A blond woman in a sparkly gold and blue leotard puts her hand on her hip, the other hand holding a microphone.
Taylor Swift performs onstage on the first night of her Eras tour at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 31, 2023. (Suzanne Cordeiro/Getty Images)

Annie Scott, an aspiring security officer in Calgary and a massive Taylor Swift fan, felt shattered when she realized one of her favourite musicians had decided to leave Canada out of her latest tour schedule.

The pop singer released a list of locations as part of her Eras world tour on Tuesday, leaving thousands of fans dumbfounded. Swift is currently touring the United States and will later travel for shows in Mexico, Australia, South America, Asia and Europe.

Canada's conspicuous absence from the coveted list has been hard for fans to digest.

"I'm very upset, honestly," Scott said in a conversation on the Calgary Eyeopener. "We're such a big country that she should at least come to two cities, the very least."

'We do have the capacity in Canada'

Scott has never seen Swift perform live and doesn't have a valid passport at the moment, making it difficult for her to attend a show in the U.S. Additionally, it's too expensive for her to travel to another country to watch Swift perform.

"We do have the capacity in Canada, so we should have tours here," Scott said. "But she just decided to skip right over."

Kristin Breitkreutz, who is also a Calgary resident and Taylor Swift fan, has been following the singer's work for nearly a decade.

"I'm a little heartbroken, to say the least," she said on the Eyeopener. "Honestly, I have always loved her music … and I love the community she has. Like, there's so many people I've bonded with over her music and it's just so much fun."


LISTEN |Taylor Swift's fans talk about feeling heartbroken:

Breitkreutz pointed out that she's not the only one — many fans have taken to social media to express their shock and dismay over the tour update.

"I know I've seen a few people who still have hope she'll announce Canadian dates," Breitkreutz said. "But overall, the reaction on social media has been, 'oh my God, she forgot about Canada. How could she?'"

Scott and Breitkreutz take their love for Taylor Swift rather seriously. While Scott has been fervently tracking the tour and identifying all the "secret songs" that have made an appearance so far, Breitkreutz has already attempted to go to Arizona to attend a Swift concert.

She couldn't go through with the booking because the tickets were far too expensive.

While some may feel that Swift fans are being a bit extreme with their reactions over the tour announcement, Scott thinks they're "not going far enough."

Meanwhile, Breitkreutz reckons the pop star needs to reconsider her plans and add Canada to the lineup.

"You know, all I have to say is that she also has a song called I Forgot That You Existed," she said. "It's pretty clear that [the] song is about Canada."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Boshika Gupta

CBC Calgary digital journalist

Boshika Gupta is a journalist with extensive experience covering several beats such as public policy, food, culture, mental health, wellness and education. Contact her on [email protected].

With files from The Calgary Eyeopener