To end Taylor Swift

It almost becomes an obsession, and not only for the star and his team, but also for the cities where all these beautiful people arrive during a tour.

The example of Taylor Swift who brings her Eras Tour in Toronto is convincing. Security surrounding the show, or should I say all six shows, is omnipresent.

Toronto police are deploying huge numbers of troops to provide security around the Rogers Center where the shooting took place. star.

As much for the fans that for the media, everyone must comply with the strict security instructions established by the tour team, but also by the police forces.

In Toronto, a security perimeter was erected around the stadium. Streets were closed to facilitate the flow of road traffic in addition to allowing thousands of fans — there are more than 50,000 per concert — to wander around more at ease, thus avoiding the crowds near the access points to the site.

Checkpoints

During the passage of the team from Right Last Thursday, we were able to see first-hand the extent of these security measures.

Firstly, the number of checkpoints that must be crossed before arriving at the stadium is high.

In our case, we had to go to the parking lot under the Rogers Center. We were certain that we would have to show our credentials on more than one occasion. Moreover, the instructions received by email the day before the show were clear: we had to ensure that our names appeared on the accreditations lists.

In order to obtain these accreditations, we had made all the necessary requests in advance, weeks in advance. And when I say “we”, I am of course talking about the photographer of the Right Patrick Woodbury et moi.

So I said that we had to prepare for an obstacle course before we could enter the stadium.

The search

With less than a kilometer to go before arriving at the Rogers Center, we passed through three checkpoints where police officers kindly asked us for our identification documents.

A first “check point» Once crossed, we went slowly towards the second where we repeat the same process. Verification of our identity and confirmation on the accreditations list.

Finally, a third checkpoint where we felt the full extent of the thing.

A police officer from the dog squad walks around our vehicle with a cute little beagle with well-trained scent. We even open the rear trunk so Fido can sniff our luggage. All this while another police officer inspects the underside of the vehicle with a telescopic mirror. That’s when I told Pat that we wouldn’t have done anything less for a visit from the American president!

After this search, we advance towards the barrier giving access to the underground parking lot. Last checkpoint before being able to access the stadium.

New identity check, confirmation of our names on the accreditation list, call to the media manager and finally, the barrier opens for us.

It may seem tedious at first glance, but everything went calmly and courteously. From the first checkpoint to our parking lot, less than 30 minutes had passed. It must be said that we arrived early, around 2 p.m. while the doors of the Rogers Center were supposed to allow the first spectators to pass from 4:30 p.m.

So we took the time to chat with fans already very numerous around the stadium. We were thus able to gauge the enthusiasm for this series of shows which was launched on this cool Thursday evening in November.

At this point, I must explain to you that the classic coverage of a show for a written media comes in two stages.

First there is the taking of images and writing the review.

Subsequently, all the editorial material is sent to our desk team who formats our images and words and then puts everything online so that you, dear readers, can have an overview of our evening.

But to reach this high point, we once again had to adhere to several safety instructions.

First, go to the ticket office to collect our tickets. Security check and signature were required before having the precious pass.

Then, confirmation of accreditation where we are given bracelets giving access to the area reserved for us. Fine for the columnist, but for the photographer, it was a completely different matter.

I had to leave my laptop in the car since it was forbidden to enter the compound with this type of equipment. For the photographer, you quickly understand that he must have had all his “Kodaks” with him.

The show

Our team was therefore separated at this precise moment. I went through a small corridor before emerging into the immense Rogers Center while Patrick took the elevator to go to a press room dedicated to accredited photographers. Workspace, internet connection and even a buffet awaited my colleague.

This concert is divided into two acts. Before the more than spectacular arrival of Taylor Swift on stage, Gracie Abrams must warm up the crowd. A useless thing in my opinion since this crowd has been pumped up for hours already!

As for the spectacle of star, photographers have strict instructions to follow. They have access to the first two songs. So, barely 15 minutes to document in images what is happening on stage. After this short moment, all the image sensors are escorted under the stands, towards the press room.

Afterwards, the merry-go-round resumes for the arrival of the star of the evening.

The photographers are quickly brought up to speed by the tour director. We explain to them in the smallest details what Taylor Swift will do on stage during these few minutes where they will be able to immortalize the star’s slightest gestures.

After these few minutes which pass at high speed, all the photographers must leave the room. If they want to come back, they must leave their devices, under guard, in the press room.

This is what Patrick did in order to return to the stadium and enjoy the show.

One last testimony

A few weeks before Taylor Swift’s first show in Toronto, we met a mother and her daughter who were going to experience it at the same time as us.

It is therefore appropriate to look back on what they experienced. But, together with Diana Rogriguez, the mother, we are going to let Martina, the young 12-year-old teenager, comment on her day.

“During my experience at the Taylor Swift concert, I had so much fun that I will never forget this evening. It was the best experience of my life, the most magical I have ever had. When I arrived in Toronto, I couldn’t stop jumping around because I was so excited and happy.”

“When Taylor started singing, I was screaming and singing at the top of my lungs with all my might. I felt like I was living a waking dream. The moment she sang I Can Do It With a Broken Heart was my favorite.”

“Leaving the concert, I said to myself how lucky I was to have been able to attend the Eras Tour. If I could, I would definitely go again, and I know I would be just as excited as the first time. It’s a memory I will treasure forever.”

And there you have it, you have just read everything you need to know about this international megastar who has three more concerts to perform in Toronto before ending his world tour at BC Place in Vancouver with three final performances from December 5 to 7.

Now I’m done with Taylor Swift!