Kick off your Toronto concert getaway with these can’t-miss experiences for Taylor Swift fans.

When Taylor Swift brings her epic six concerts from the Eras Tour to Toronto (November 14–16 and 21–23, 2024), Torontonians will paint the town Red

Swifties can get the party started early with these 10 unique experiences inspired by her music. Here’s how to celebrate all things Tay-ronto.

*Or, if you prefer to DIY and plan from scratch, also see our Guide to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto for even more Swiftie-approved ideas.

1. Get a Red-inspired lippy 

Taylor’s signature red lip is iconic, but you can make your very own vegan, paraben-free version at the Lip Lab. An expert will help guide you towards the perfect colour, formulation and flavour (pomegranate is perfect for fall) based on your complexion and preference. 

You can personalize your lipstick even more by choosing a name that will be engraved on the tube. Get creative and start mining Taylor’s rich music catalogue for inspo… Fortnight Framboise, Midnights Mulberry or Reputation Aubergine, anyone?  

 

2. Strum things up at Guitar Heaven

Music buffs need to make a pilgrimage to the mecca that is Steve’s Music Store, a beacon on Queen Street West for musicians since 1965. Splurge on a Baby Taylor guitar (with a custom screen-printed twining rosette and vine motif, plus her signature), or treat yourself to little pick-me-ups like a new guitar strap.

3. Solve your Champagne Problems 

Cap the concert with drinks at COC (short for Coffee, Oysters & Champagne), a resto that’s an homage to feminine allure with pink onyx walls, a warm metal bar and channelled velvet banquettes. 

Plus there are two secret rooms, including a 1920s-style Parisian speakeasy-style bar accessed behind a wall of bubbly (just the kind of hidden gem a seasoned Easter Egg aficionado like Taylor would appreciate). 
 

4. Seal the deal with a friendship bracelet

Crafties, are you ready for it? Swifties regularly stack armfuls of friendship bracelets to trade with other fans. 

Prepare with a pit stop to The Beadery, a Queen West fixture, to peruse the prettiest baubles. The store stocks semi-precious stones like purple Brazilian amethyst that will give your bracelet a luxe glow-up (you may want to keep that version for yourself). 

5. Explore official “Tayronto” attractions

To honour the Eras tour, the City of Toronto is designating the path between Nathan Phillips Square (where the Toronto sign will be lit in red) and Rogers Centre “1 Taylor Swift Way” during the month of November. 

After the concert run, sign toppers along John Street and Queen Street West will be auctioned off in support of the Daily Bread Food Bank. 

On all six concert dates, Toronto’s Version: Taylgate ’24 will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. A live DJ will mix Swift hits, and there will be designated singalong spots and a craft area to create friendship bracelets.
 

6. Get in touch with your inner cat lady

Cat fanciers like Taylor (who has two Scottish Folds, Meredith Gray and Olivia Benson, plus a Rag Doll dubbed Benjamin Button) can unite at the Lazy Cat Cafe, where they can grab a latte and cuddle with affectionate felines. 

The spruce-green walls and plethora of plants make this a perfect place to recharge, and you can even fill out an adoption form for a cat soulmate if you’re yearning to make the relationship more permanent.

7. Slip on your perfect cardigan

A sparkly bodysuit is de rigueur for Taylor on stage, but late fall calls for more practical fashion fare. You never know what you can unearth when vintage shopping in Toronto’s Kensington Market

Keep your eyes peeled for a covetable collegiate, tipped Taylor-style cardigan in Exile Vintage, Vintage Depot or Space Vintage. Dress it up with an iron-on star, bird or number patches on the elbows. 
 

8. Have an island dream

It can be chilly in November, but wrap yourself in a cozy velvet Evermore-style cape and take the ferry over to the Toronto Islands for a fall walk. 

Pour a maple latte into a thermos, savour the sound of crunching leaves, and take in great views of the Rogers Centre and Toronto skyline through the bare trees.

9. Shake it Off at the ballet 

Taylor famously spoofed ballerinas when she donned a tutu and feathered headdress and grabbed a spot at the barre for the Shake it Off video. 

Head to the National Ballet’s performance of Giselle (November 20–24, 2024) for the real deal. This uber-romantic, haunting love tale about the redemptive power of love is right up Taylor’s alley.

 

10. Roll Snake Eyes 

Taylor’s symbolic homage to snakes loops throughout her career, from the epic Look What You Made Me Do video to the beguiling snake gestures she’s made at recent concerts. 

Get up close (but not too close) to that formidable reptilian power with a visit to the Toronto Zoo’s reticulated python. The zoo’s Wild Encounters education series offers an up-close look at native Ontario snakes on select dates this season.