Taylor Swift took over Toronto in late 2024, and the results have come in.
In November 2024, the blockbuster pop star played to 240,000 concertgoers across six sold-out nights at Rogers Centre during the first of two Canadian stops on her globally successful Eras Tour.
Related
A new city of Toronto costs and benefits report found that the three levels of Canadian government brought in an estimated $39.7 million from direct and indirect spending from Swift’s Eras Tour in 2024 and an economic impact of an estimated $282 million.
The report also shows the city spent over $3.6 million in anticipation and during Swift’s two weekends of concerts.
The information was revealed in a briefing note from the city’s department of economic development and culture, which unpacked the impact of Swift’s stop in the city and what it means for the future of large-scale events. The report was presented to city council members last April and has now been provided to Billboard Canada.
Locally, the biggest expense was $2.6 million for the Toronto Police Services. The report specifies that included traffic management, safety and security, as well as pre-concert merchandise sales, post-concert activities, hotel security and staffing at the concerts themselves, as well as paid duties for Metrolinx and Rogers Centre.
Other major costs included $1.7 million for increased TTC (public transit) service over two weekends. The city reported that TTC revenue increased by $588,000 in comparison to the weeks leading up to Swift’s first show.
Additional costs — tallying up almost $600,000 — included funds for emergency staffing, marketing, infrastructure changes, signage and fan activations — which the city says they made up by the time Swift hit the stage.
“While these initiatives incurred costs, the initiatives delivered significant value by driving economic activity, promoting the city’s reputation on a global stage and laying the groundwork for improved delivery of future events,” the report reads.
During Swift’s stay, the economic impact was an estimated $282 million during the 10 days of the singer’s Toronto tour dates. Coined the “Swift lift,” the report noted a 45% increase in week-over-week spending in the city.
Of the total $282 million earned in economic impact, $152 million was a result of direct spending. Commerce sales company Moneris reported that the increased spending benefitted multiple sectors, including clothing stores, hotels, movie theatres and restaurants, which came during what is typically a “slower season” — proving Swift’s impact.
Read a full breakdown here.
Quebec Superior Court Approves Class Action Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster for ‘Unreasonable’ Service Fees
The Quebec Superior Court has approved a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster over the platform’s service fees.
Initially filed by Montreal law firm Paquette Gadler in August 2024, the lawsuit claims that the service fees charged by the ticketing service violate Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act and the Quebec Civil Code.
Earlier this week, in a ruling dated Jan. 5, Justice Eleni Yiannakis said the case met the conditions for a full trial. A date has yet to be set.
Ticketmaster has faced similar criticisms and lawsuits related to ticket buying issues, from bots and resellers to high inventory demands and costs.
According to court documents, the firm notes that Ticketmaster’s fees fluctuate based on ticket prices instead of the actual cost of the service provided. It’s a pricing model they call “excessive, unreasonable, abusive and disproportionate.”
The lawsuit was filed in August 2024 on behalf of the plaintiff and Montreal resident Felipe Morales, who bought four tickets on Ticketmaster in 2022 to see Bruce Springsteen perform in New Jersey the following year.
Related
While initially buying tickets, Morales selected four floor tickets for $225, but was kicked out when his “transaction could not be finalized,” as cited in the lawsuit. In the following minutes, he returned to the purchase page, but had to select lesser-than-ideal seats. He proceeded to pay $1,000 per ticket, but was faced with an extra $599 in fees on top of the total $4,000 ticket price.
Morales claims that he “suffered harm” from what he describes as the platform’s “illegal and wrongful actions.” Additionally, he notes that Ticketmaster’s service fees are not on par with what he was provided, noting that they increase as ticket prices go up — the lawsuit found that the platform’s fees can reach up to 75% of the base ticket price.
In addition, the class action includes Quebecers who bought tickets through Ticketmaster for any concerts in North America since July 2021, as Morales is “certainly not the only person to have suffered damages caused by the Defendants’ fault in this matter.” This includes purchases made at a venue’s box office, on Ticketmaster’s website (including their Admission Network) or their mobile app.
“Fees are split between the venue and Ticketmaster to cover the essential costs of supporting the show from staffing the venue to funding anti-fraud technology and payment processing,” says a spokesperson in a statement to Billboard Canada. “Ticketmaster‘s share of service fees is typically around 5-7 % of the total ticket price. We believe the most fair and transparent approach is showing fans the total cost upfront, which we’ve done in Canada since 2018. These fees are also scaled with the ticket price to help keep lower-priced tickets as affordable as possible.”
Read more here.
