It is the end of an era for Selkirk’s Taylor Swift fan, Brooke Olafson. Nearly two-and-a-half years ago, she fell into the lore of the international superstar’s The Eras Tour, and as of December, her adventures have come to a close.
“I went to three Era’s Tour concerts, and I went to the movie,” said the local Swiftie.
She even managed to watch nearly 50 concerts from start to finish and saw every acoustic song performance of the 149-concert phenomenon.
Olafson’s own tour kicked off when she purchased a signed copy of Swift’s Midnights vinyl album. This helped her get selected for a presale code through Ticketmaster. She received a merchandise boost presale code from her purchase of the vinyl and had the chance to buy tickets for The Eras Tour.
Come ticket release day, Ticketmaster failed millions of fans when it crashed due to too many buyers attempting to access the website.
“I thought it was over for us. But then we got another email saying that we could have another opportunity to buy tickets because we were identified as a fan who received a boost during the presale and didn’t purchase tickets.”
It was then that she was finally able to buy her way to The Eras Tour in Minneapolis, and she was able to see Taylor Swift perform on June 24, 2023, with her Mom.
She and her Mom, Pam Magnusson, marked Minneapolis as their favourite concert of the three.
“My favourite was Minneapolis because it was the first time I ever saw Taylor live,” explained Olafson. “She played one of my top surprise songs, ‘Daylight’ so that was awesome. I also was allowed to bring my camera and use it during the whole show. I love taking pictures and I got some really good ones of Taylor.”
Their first concert was also extra special because they managed to get floor seats and stand up close to the stage. This was the highlight for Magnusson because she got the best view of the concert.
The mother-daughter duo went to every concert together as they are big on making memories together.
“I go everywhere with my kids because I always want to be there for them. Plus, Taylor Is big on always having her Mom travel everywhere with her so that was a big influence for Brooke,” explained Magnusson.
Olafson thought she was done with The Era’s Tour after her initial concert, but when Swift announced that Canadian tour dates were being added, she knew she was hungry for more.
Her entire family signed up for a presale code, and her brother was the lucky person selected to buy tickets. He ultimately achieved success, as he was able to purchase four tickets for Toronto’s tour dates.
Their family was not as lucky when Swift announced the final leg of her tour in Vancouver, as no one could get a code. So, Olafson entered every contest she could to score another pair of tickets to The Eras Tour in Vancouver.
In August 2024, she was selected for a chance to win two tickets to Vancouver with Kiss 102.3’s Taylor Swift Trivia contest. She studied all of her facts and information and placed second.
“It was the last question that got me. It was, ‘What was Taylor’s first song that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart? I knew I just saw the exact question and answer on TikTok but I was flipping between the two answers and I picked the right one and I was able to move onto the final round.”
At the night’s end, she didn’t claim victory as she randomly picked the incorrect box, but she walked away with a Swift-themed merchandise package.
“I was just happy that I was able to help that guy go to the Eras Tour.”
Three months later on Nov. 22 it was time for Olafson to see Swift perform again, but this time on Canadian soil.
She, her Mom, and her two friends, Kaylyn and Koral Walker, saw Night 5 of The Eras Tour in Toronto, and they made many memories while on the trip together.
“There was so much walking,” said Magnusson. “I honestly thought my legs were going to die from all that walking in Toronto. We were on our feet for 12 hours straight.”
They did not rent a car, so they did everything on foot. They visited the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, did some shopping, and saw the Toronto Christmas Parade.
Toronto was undoubtedly ready for Swifties as the whole city was decorated. The CN Tower was decked out with images of Swift at the top, and even the aquarium had a change in scenery.
“It (the aquarium) was so fun because they played Taylor Swift songs the entire time, and they had little photoops for us to take pictures of,” explained Olafson.
Once she returned home from Toronto, she had little time to rest because on Nov. 25, additional tickets for Vancouver’s Eras Tour concerts were released.
She managed to snag two tickets for $16.50 each to see Swift perform one last time on Dec. 8, the final show of The Era’s Tour. The cheap tickets came with a catch for her and her Mom. They were seated behind the stage, obstructing the performance’s view, but this didn’t stop the pair from living their wildest dreams.
After arriving in Vancouver at 7 a.m., they spent the whole day visiting different Vancouver landmarks and finding uniquely themed Taylor Swift items throughout the city.
“We got to see the Folklore cabin, which was really cool.”
Olafson explained that people recreated the cabin for Swift’s Folklore album as a photo opportunity for fans.
“We also did the Taylor Swift Bubble Tea Event at The Bubble Tea Shop (Vancouver), where I got to make a friendship bracelet, get a Taylor Swift cup sleeve, and get a picket fan.”
Once it was finally time for the evening concert, she and her Mom were in for a surprise when they got to their seats because they could see part of the stage.
Every time Swift performed on the right of the stage, fans could get a good view of her performance. They could also watch the rest of the concert on the four gigantic screens installed for fans with a backstage view.
“It was really cool because we got to see all the dancers and musicians go off and on the stage. I liked seeing them interact with each other before getting on because that is not something you would normally see from the front.”
Now that Olafson has officially returned home, she is still absorbing her entire experience.
“The Eras Tour was basically my whole life for two years. Taylor always gave me something to look forward to.”
During all of her concerts, she traded friendship bracelets, made new memories, and met with fans who loved Swift just as much as she does. Of course, she also had to get her hands on some of Swift’s limited-edition merchandise.
She bought the tour-exclusive grey-quarter-zip, a wall tapestry, a water bottle, a black long-sleeve shirt, and a poster from the Vancouver concert to mark the end of her Eras Tour. But, the Era’s Tour is not entirely over yet, because Swift had film crews at all three performances in Vancouver. No one knows what was being filmed at the moment, but Swifties across the globe are sure it is something spectacular.
It is also important to note, that Olafson is the reason why a select number of Manitoban Swifties were able to see The Eras Tour as well.
Over the last two years, she purchased and donated four tickets to her friends and four tickets for random-lucky Manitobans through radio station contests. Because of her, more Manitobans were able to experience the magic of Swift performing live and make their own memories during The Eras Tour.
