Taylor Swift's Lover Fest Is Canceled — What Will Fans Do Now?

Taylor Swift’s devoted fan base has been training since 2009’s Fearless tour, her arena debut, for this summer’s originally offered, multi-continental, 15-date trek referred to as Lover Fest. In October of last year, fans waited in virtual lines for hours to buy tickets for the coveted event. On Twitter, several had already begun coordinating outfits and planning meetups with fellow Swifties who they’ve met on the world wide web or at past concerts. Tori Ronak, a 27-year-old resident of Calgary, Canada, paid “three to four times the original ticket price” using Ticketmaster’s fan resale alternative for Lover Fest West in Inglewood, California. “After seeing how badly my friend wanted to go, I determined to buy three tickets equaling $1,700 United States dollars,” Ronak told MTV News. “We were excited for the music, even more excited to be able to see which musical visitors she would bring on, and we were excited to get our outfits together.”


Nevertheless as communities continue to avoid social gatherings to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Swift reported the cancellation of all 2020 tour dates on April 17 — including Lover Fest. “I'm so sad I won't have the ability to be able to see you guys in concert this year, yet I know this is the correct decision,” she tweeted. “Please, please stay healthy and safe.”


It was a long time coming. A couple of of the events Swift was scheduled to headline this summer — including Glastonbury Festival, Roskilde Festival, and British Summer Time — had already been canceled. And with the coronavirus pandemic threatening both public health and the global economy, some die-hard fans told MTV News before the announcement that they would do just about anything for Swift to cancel the tour and offer refunds — not simply because they want their cash back, although because right now several need those funds for generic necessities like food, rent, and other miscellaneous bills.


“We don’t even know where our next paycheck is going to be coming from,” Ronak mentioned, explaining that she’s in a different place financially than she was any time once she first bought tickets. Nevertheless Swift isn’t the only one who’s canceled or postponed upcoming shows. Niall Horan recently called off his Nice To Meet Ya Tour, reassuring fans that “all tickets paid for will be refunded.” Harry Styles, BTS, Justin Bieber, and a few other artists have opted to postpone their tours, leaving fans confused about whether or not they’re eligible for refunds. As the New York Times reported, Ticketmaster’s website has recently changed its language; as a substitute opposed to allocating refunds on events “postponed, rescheduled, or canceled,” it right now only lists cancellation. “Tickets will be valid for the new event date,” nevertheless supplying refunds is ultimately up to event organizers and not the ticket retailer itself.


Swift’s statement describes how her scheduled 2020 shows in the U.S. And Brazil will right now take place in 2021 and directs fans to forthcoming messaging from Ticketmaster for questions of refunds: “For those who desire refunds bought for the U.S. Lover Fest shows, they are going to be accessible beginning May 1 subject to Ticketmaster terms.”


Given the weeks that Lover Fest’s fate was in limbo before its cancellation, 31-year-old Molly Shlom first sought a refund from Allianz, the organization she paid for event insurance from. She’d suggested to attend Lover Fest with her best friend as a “celebration of life” soon after they each faced medical hardships this past year. Ultimately, Allianz refunded her buy, though she also mentioned it was very challenging to get her cash back “even at the most escalated level with an insurance claim open on the tickets.” And soon after a game of telephone between Shlom, Ticketmaster, the concert venue, and Swift’s management team Taylor Country, she was told that “there are no refunds and ‘it’s not going to happen’ for those of us who need our cash back.”


The decision on Lover Fest almost felt more urgent than some other tours, especially since the festival was only set to take place in two U.S. Cities (Inglewood and Foxborough, Massachusetts). This insinuates that those located in other areas have paid premium prices not just for tickets, yet for travel, also. Lane Castro, 20, spent her savings on floor seats for her and her sister. “I could use the refund,” she mentioned. “My mom lost her job and I am a college student, so that already put us in a tough financial spot.” Fortunately, she hasn’t made any of the other potentially non-refundable arrangements that several other Swifties have made, including flights, hotels, and Airbnb rentals.


Swift, for her part, has recently given donations to “select fans” who are struggling now, though not directly tied to Lover Fest. The pop star reportedly gave a $3,000 gift — along with a personal note — to a couple of fans who’ve been experiencing “financial and emotional stress” and paid to cover each employee of a beloved Nashville record shop (including advantages) for the next three months throughout a statewide stay-at-home order.


Though Shlom is relieved that Swift and her team have since made an announcement, she’s still wary about the phrasing of the statement and why it could impact fans’ ability to claim refunds. “By ‘postponing’ her shows and not outright canceling them, she is still causing deep financial distress to thousands of fans,” she mentioned. “She left everyone's financial future involving their tickets up to the powers at be at Ticketmaster, and with their new policies they might not directly receive a full, or any refund.” And whenever she applauds Swift for “doing the correct thing,” Shlom feels strongly that it can may not be enough. “She only went halfway,” she said.


Thirty-year-old Swiftie Bianca Szklaruk, who is fortunate enough to still be employed throughout this very economically unstable time, feels for both Swift and the thousands of other fans — like Shlom, Ronak, and Castro — who are struggling to create ends meet now. “My concern is for the fans I visualize on my Twitter feed who are laid off indefinitely,” she mentioned. However she also thinks it’s essential to praise Swift for her philanthropic moves. “Taylor is doing a breathtaking job sending cash to fans in need,” she said.


Of course, just because some Swifties had hoped for a cancellation and refunds, that doesn’t mean they’re not sad about potentially not seeing the show at all. For Szklaruk, Lover Fest is a way to reunite with her best companions. “We met through Taylor and live across the country,” she mentioned. “For the past few years we’ve met in new locations for an annual trip. This year was Lover Fest.” And Castro’s been looking forward to her next Swift concert since leaving the Reputation tour in 2018. “Her concerts are so amazing,” she mentioned. “You get to be able to see people you maybe know online and the energy is so exciting.”


It’s for this reason that a few other fans were hoping Lover Fest would go on as originally recommended. “It’s a tough situation,” mentioned 21-year-old Caitlyn Wilkes, who'd proposed on making the nearly 10-hour drive from Ohio to Massachusetts for Lover Fest East with her best friend. “It’s tough to watch the plans you’ve had for so several months begin to slip away and there’s nothing you could do about it.” Juan Almanza, a 21-year-old from Chicago, mentioned he had already booked a flight and hotel plans, although that ultimately, “I understand since she cares so much about the health of her fans.”


Ultimately, the choice to cancel Lover Fest will not only be hard on Swift, nevertheless on those who were excited to shout the bridge of “Cruel Summer” in an open-air stadium full of thousands of other devoted fans. Nevertheless now, public health and the general well-being of others must take top priority. “We need to think of our health and people’s health around us,” Ronak mentioned. “Think of the nurses and the frontline workers who have already lost their lives. If canceling or postponing Lover Fest means saving lives, Taylor could be all for it.”


According to Swift’s tweet announcing the cancellation, she’s devoted to doing just that. “I’ll visualize you on stage If I can nevertheless now what’s essential is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us."