Wait-listed ‘Swifties’ can get the Taylor Swift experience next year at gala event at east Hamilton venue

Tickets for the Toronto leg of Taylor Swift’s ‘Era’ tour sold out in minutes, leaving more than a million disappointed GTA ‘Swifties’ on the wait list.

Did you make the wait list? The organizers of a lavish, all-ages gala event for the night of Swift’s Toronto show next year did too, and they’re hoping to soften the blow by bringing the Taylor Swift experience to an east Hamilton banquet centre on November 14, 2024.

Swifties can move from the wait list to the ‘A’ List at Michelangelo’s on Upper Ottawa Street that night and they can do in true Swift style at an event featuring a DJ, dancing, a glitter bar, photo booths and a countdown to a ‘Breakfast at Midnight’ buffet.

“We want to deliver the wow of the concert experience and to make waitlisted fans feel like A-Listers,” said event spokesperson Elizabeth Bates. “Our goal is to create lasting tour memories without the risk and expense of re-sale or of gathering outside the venue in winter.”

Although the event is still nearly a year away, Swiftie shoppers can buy limited edition ‘Gift of Swift’ gala tickets and “enjoy the anticipation of moving from the wait list to the ‘I can’t wait list’ with regular behind the scenes engagement,” Bates added.

As the promo for the event described it, Taylor Swift fans can stay home and feel “sad” when the pop star – whose Eras tour has already crossed the $1 billion threshold – comes to Toronto next November, or they can be “dancing to concert hits and trading friendship bracelets with fellow Swifties” instead.

​The Gift of Swift ticket includes a gift announcement package shipped by Canada Post, with the last day to guarantee delivery by Christmas this Friday.

Doors open for the event at 9 p.m., with VIP ticket holders arriving at 8 p.m. for a private reception with entertainment, swag, and privileged access and exclusive photo opportunities with a separate event concierge.

Swift, who was recently named Time Person of the Year (posing for the cover shot with her cat), is know for her love of cats and the event will support local animal rescue organizations and non-profits. Registered animal rescue organizations are encouraged to learn about getting involved at [email protected] or at the event website at www.thewaitlist2024.com.

Bates notes that the ticket resale market for the concert has been heavily targeted for fraud, particularly during this holiday shopping season, with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warning consumers of numerous Taylor Swift ticket scams.  The Better Business Bureau has already identified at least 20 and is cautioning after-market ticket buyers to only buy from verified platforms.