When Samantha Osaduke, a longtime fan of Taylor Swift, saw the pop star on her Reputation tour in Toronto about six years ago, snagging a ticket was surprisingly easy. She recalls buying her seat just a week before the show for around $60. But this year, trying to score tickets for Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto has been a completely different experience.
“This time, it’s like a whole new level of frenzy. It’s been absolutely wild,” Osaduke shares. “Nobody I know has managed to get tickets yet.”
Osaduke is one of countless Swifties attempting every strategy in the book to secure a last-minute ticket for one of Swift’s six sold-out shows at the Rogers Centre. From constantly checking Ticketmaster for last-minute releases to entering every available contest, she’s pulling out all the stops in hopes of seeing her favorite artist live. However, the high demand and fierce competition have led some fans to desperate measures—resulting in heartbreaking experiences with scammers.
The Costly Hunt for Tickets: A Fan’s Story of Being Scammed
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has sparked an incredible surge in ticket demand across North America and Europe, and her Toronto shows are no exception. Tickets for these dates went on sale in August, but demand vastly outstripped the available seats, leaving many fans—who had signed up for an exclusive purchase code—on a waitlist. Now, resale tickets for Swift’s Toronto tour dates are being listed at staggering prices; nosebleed seats for her opening night are being sold for over $2,000.
Maggie Chan, a dedicated Swiftie, was one of those fans who had hoped to land a ticket through resale but instead found herself the victim of a scam, losing $850 in the process. She recalls joining a Facebook group that advertised itself as a fan community dedicated to helping others obtain tickets. Thinking it was a safe space, she connected with another member who claimed to have a ticket to one of Swift’s Rogers Centre shows for $850.
“I really didn’t think a fellow Swiftie would lead me astray,” Chan admits. Though there were some warning signs—such as her initial PayPal payment being denied—Chan assumed these were technical issues. But after her payment was finally processed, the seller demanded an additional $100 for what they claimed was a “transaction fee.” When Chan pushed back, the scammer sent her an email with a supposed ticket, but it was clearly not an official Ticketmaster transfer.
“I’m usually pretty savvy and aware,” she reflects. “But in this case, they took advantage of my excitement and emotions, knowing my critical thinking was clouded by the desperation to see Taylor live.”
Despite her experience, Chan isn’t giving up. She remains determined to see Swift perform, even driving an hour to enter a local shop’s contest that’s offering a pair of the coveted tickets.
The relentless pursuit of tickets by fans like Osaduke and Chan highlights the extraordinary fervor surrounding Swift’s Eras Tour. While some fans will be lucky enough to score last-minute tickets, others continue to hold out hope through contests and Ticketmaster drops. For Swifties everywhere, it’s a testament to the lengths they’re willing to go for a chance to see their favorite artist live.
