Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined a growing chorus of Canadians who want Taylor Swift to bring her Eras tour to Canada.
On Wednesday, the U.S. superstar added 14 shows in the United Kingdom and Europe next summer, announcing the new dates on her Twitter account.
“Really can’t contain my excitement because… we’re adding 14 new shows to The Eras Tour,” Swift tweeted.
Trudeau replied to her announcement with a message referencing a few of Swift’s songs, including Cruel Summer.
“It’s me, hi. I know places in Canada would love to have you. So, don’t make it another cruel summer. We hope to see you soon.”
As of Thursday morning, Swift had not publicly replied to the Canadian leader.
Why isn’t Taylor coming to Canada?
The Eras tour, which began in the United States in March, will see Swift perform across the globe.
So far, she is slated to take the stage in Mexico, Europe, Asia and Australia over the next year.
No Canadian dates have been announced for her international leg and it’s not clear if more will be added.
Trudeau’s Twitter request is not likely going to sway Swift, said Eric Alper, a music industry expert in Toronto, adding he suspects bypassing Canada was an “economic decision” by the multiple Grammy winner.
“It’s nice to see when politicians end up in the pop culture realm, but it’s not going to do anything,” Alper said in an interview with Global News.
Canada’s huge landmass and its relatively smaller population makes it a “really tough country to tour”, he said.
Compared to the U.S. and the U.K., Canada also does not have many large venues that can hold over 50,000 people, Alper said.
“When you’re working in a country at 35 per cent less on the dollar, it doesn’t make sense just now to tour when Taylor Swift is just simply laser focused on playing to the most people that she possibly can in the shortest period of time, and also has her sights set on potentially music’s first billion-dollar tour.”
Swift’s snub of Canada has made its way to the House of Commons, with Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux saying last month he would file an “official” grievance “on behalf of all Swifties” in the country.
“It has come to my attention that despite much anticipation, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has neglected to include any Canadian dates or locations as she released her international dates, which includes stops throughout Asia and Europe,” Jeneroux wrote in a letter dated and signed on Wednesday, June 21.
Neither Swift nor her management has addressed the decision to skip Canada. Swift last performed in Canada in 2018.
The Eras tour is set to end at London’s Wembley Stadium on Aug. 17, 2024.
— with files from The Canadian Press
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Saba Aziz
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