This upcoming weekend is set to be one of the craziest in Vancouver history due to a combination of events, including arguably one of the biggest concerts ever to hit the city, and the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is ready.
Taylor Swift. Have you heard of her? Are you tired of hearing about her? Well, that’s pretty much all you’ll hear about this weekend unless you plan to spend it in bed.
But it’s not just Swift. Cirque is still in town with shows this weekend, and the Canucks have two games that coincide with concert days, including Friday night.
We spoke to Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim last month, who told Daily Hive Urbanized that over 700 officers would ensure the area’s safety. VPD Constable Tania Visintin confirmed that number with Daily Hive.
“It’s going to be a busy weekend,” Sim said.
“We just want to make sure that everyone can really lean into it, have a lot of fun and be safe.”
“We want to make sure that everyone has an incredible time. We’re honoured and privileged to have Taylor Swift play three nights,” the mayor added.
VPD has been developing plans for this weekend since they learned that Swift would be visiting Vancouver. The extra officers deployed to the city might provide some people with some peace of mind after the devastating news that shook up the downtown community earlier this week.
We asked Visintin, who called this the “biggest cultural event in years,” what officers would focus on and if any events in recent Vancouver history would be comparable to the type of response the force would put forward to Taylormania.
VPD is expecting over 250,000 people in the stadium district, which also includes the Canucks and Cirque crowd. They also provided Daily Hive with some additional information that is quite interesting.
Visintin compared the crowds expected this weekend to those at the Ed Sheran concert; however, she added that “the Taylor Swift demographics present unique public safety challenges.”
One of those challenges is that over 70% of visitors will be from outside Metro Vancouver.
Another challenge is the younger demographic, which Visintin says may not know their way around Vancouver as it could be their first time visiting. She added that it’s possible that they’ve never been in a crowd or venue of this size.
“We have looked at the experiences of other major cities, most recently Toronto, but have built deployment and public safety plans that meet our city’s unique needs. While we are currently not aware of any specific safety threats, we’re aware of major public safety incidents that have occurred at concerts, sporting events and cultural events in other cities. We have multiple plans in place to protect concertgoers.”
#VPD officers are Ready For It 🎶, dedicated to helping you enjoy a safe and unforgettable weekend! We’ll have 700 officers in bright, visible vests—inside and outside the stadium—deterring crime, reassuring concert-goers, and responding swiftly to emergencies. Reach out if you… pic.twitter.com/QADIqayPI4
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) December 5, 2024
“We’re excited as anyone to play a part in making this weekend safe, fun, and memorable,” Visintin said.