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will b.c. place be ready for 160,000 screaming taylor swift fans?
many concertgoers will be coming to the city for the first time. but will b.c. place be ready?
aug 6 2024
3 minute read
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in early december, over 160,000 taylor swift fans will descend upon the city for the singer’s three eras tour shows, dec. 6-8.
many will have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on tickets and some will be coming to the city for the first time. but will b.c. place be ready?
the july 5 rolling stones concert raised questions about what concertgoers can expect. ad hoc bathroom facilities, an overburdened bag-check, and confusing seating numbering were a few of the issues experienced by this writer. so we reached out to b.c. pavilion corporation, the provincial crown corporation that owns and operates the 54,500-capacity venue, to ask about our concerns. the organization supplied us with answers via email.
b.c. place says it’s aware of the confusion at the stones show around seat numbering. for example, at least in our section, seat numbers were in different places in parallel rows and row numbers were difficult to identify.
“each concert has its unique requirements and the numbering setup for this show was different from our typical one,” we were told. “we always work closely with the tour to evaluate post-event take-aways and adapt key learnings to future events. we’ve heard the feedback on this topic and will be working hard to improve this aspect of our guests’ experience at future events.”
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we also had difficulty finding the ramp that led to our section, and the staff we asked seemed as confused as we were.
taylor swift brings her eras tour to b.c. place dec. 6-8.
david gray
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afp via getty images
“we have ongoing staff training opportunities as part of our commitment to continued service excellence. after every major event we hold internal debriefs to understand how we can improve on guest experience, including better signage and wayfinding, and ensuring our staff are comfortable and familiar with their assigned areas.”
this concertgoer was disconcerted to find that the restroom facility nearest to our seats was a collection of portables. to be fair, i didn’t look beyond them for other possible working options.
“b.c. place is currently undergoing several renovations to improve guest experience, including significant washroom upgrades. as a result of these upgrades, the level 1 food court and washrooms were unavailable for the rolling stones concert. we expect this renovation to be completed and ready for usage in time for the taylor swift shows in december. these washrooms, however, are always supplemented with additional portable toilets for concerts and high-volume events.”
there also seemed to be a lack of available water stations, unless you wanted to venture to the concourse in search of a fountain or pay for a bottle.
the rolling stones played their first show in vancouver on july 5. the concert raised questions about what concertgoers can expect. ad hoc bathroom facilities, an overburdened bag-check, and confusing seating numbering were a few of the issues experienced.
arlen redekop
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“there are numerous water stations available throughout the stadium where bottles can be filled for free,” we were assured. “given the warm temperatures on the day of the rolling stones concert, hundreds of bottles were also handed out for free to guests with general admission floor tickets. bottles of water are also always available for purchase at concession.”
in a followup email, b.c. place said that “there are 18 permanent water-filling stations and depending on the event, additional water stations may be available.”
finally, any bag larger than a hamster — unless it’s clear, in which case 12 inches by 12 inches by six inches is permitted — will have to be checked, likely at a cost of $10.
“to ensure a safe environment for the public, b.c. place has a restricted bag policy as part of our integrated security plan. this policy is in line with industry standards — you will find a similar policy at any large venue across north america and beyond.”
event-day policies such as the bag-check “ are communicated to guests in advance of all major events as a know before you go, through several channels including email marketing, social media, our website, and often radio and online media coverage.”
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so there you have it, swifties. enjoy the show.
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