With Taylor Swift set to bring her Eras Tour to Vancouver for its three final shows on December 6, 7, and 8, the city is abuzz with lively activations to not only welcome the global pop star but also give locals and visitors something fun to see.
Among the colourful enhancements to Vancouver's already picturesque English Bay is the recent addition of friendship bracelets - big and really big - adorning the "laughing men" public art piece at 1800 Morton Pl.
The 14 statues are actually called "A-maze-ing Laughter," and are the work of Chinese artist Yue Minjun. The work was part of the 2009-2011 Vancouver Biennale.
Minjun himself first saw the bronze statues by the beach, which all feature his face, when he came to Vancouver in 2017.
Now, Swifties are joining the Canada geese and seagulls that flock to English Bay for photo ops with the statues, which now are draped in beads inspired by the community and Swift songs.
Longtime West End resident and Swift fan made the bracelets
The project is the work of local creative Ryleah Shae Resler (you'll see her name on some of the extra-large wrist bracelets some of the laughing men are wearing).
The West End BIA explains: "Brimming with selfies, Swifties, and colour — English Bay’s natural beauty is the perfect spot to add a local connection to your Eras Tour memories."
"With Resler’s help, the West End BIA transformed the Amazing Laughter public statues into a one-of-a-kind selfie backdrop, with an Eras Tour theme. During the tour’s finale concerts in Vancouver, Resler’s colourful giant bracelets are a free, interactive public art experience at Davie and Denman."
Resler used TikTok to share behind-the-scenes looks at how the project came to life.
The solopreneur shares that she is a longtime West Ender and Swift fan, and doing this installation has been "an absolute dream."
Look for beads that spell out "Forever & Always," (from Fearless) and "Endgame" (from Reputation) along with messages like "Pride," that reflect the West End spirit.
What about the "Cardigan" and those palm trees?
In the backdrop, tourists (and Vancouverites) will want to look for the illuminated sign reading "Cardigan." It's a song from Swift's Folklore album (not a hint that those shirtless statues should put on a sweater, given the time of year) as well as one of 13 city-wide light installations part of a big Swift-centric scavenger hunt.
Also, for those wondering how the heck Vancouver came to have palm trees, don't worry, we can explain.
The trees – a hardy palm called the Trachycarpus fortunei or windmill palm – aren't native to the region but are found in China, Burma, and North India where they grow in cold climates.
Vancouver's 60 or so palm trees can be credited to Rudi Pinkowski, a local palm enthusiast.
In the mid to late 80s he approached the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation with the idea to plant the hardy palms along Beach Avenue, the Park Board told V.I.A.
Earlier this year, the statues were decked out with Canucks jerseys as the team advanced in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
With files from Maria Diment
