While the headlines have been focused on Taylor Swift bringing her Eras Tour to a close at BC Place in Vancouver on December 6, 7, and 8, there won't just be tens of thousands of the pop star's fans converging on the city.
Downtown Vancouver's "stadium district," namely where Rogers Arena and BC Place are, and the surrounding area, are bracing for a hectic weekend that also includes Canucks home games on Friday night and Sunday afternoon as well as ongoing performances of Cirque du Soleil's Echo along the False Creek waterfront.
Tens of thousands of ticket-holders to flood stadium district
With an estimated 250,000 people anticipated to be moving in and out of the stadium district from Friday through Sunday, the city is implementing some road closures and zone designations to ease congestion around the events.
Anyone travelling to the stadium district is reminded to factor in more time than usual for moving through the area due to the traffic adjustments and concentrated volume of people expected to be there that weekend. Give yourself plenty of time to get to your ticketed seats at any venue.
Of course, the banner message from officials at BC Place, the City of Vancouver, TransLink, and the Vancouver Police Department is that if you are heading to the Eras Tour or other downtown events, opt to get there via walking, biking, rolling, or public transit.
Those without tickets asked to head to other parts of Vancouver for weekend fun
Perhaps even more significantly, the message to non-ticket holders is clear: "If you don't have a ticket, don't come to the stadium district," BC Place's general manager Chris May said during a press conference Thursday (Nov. 28).
Those looking to hang around BC Place to hear the concert or score last-minute tickets online to Swift's last three Eras Tour shows ever will find a fenced perimeter established along the border of the stadium's property. Only ticket holders will be able to pass through to proceed through security checks and into the stadium. "Tay-gating" or "Tayl-gating" is strongly discouraged.
Non-ticket holders are also reminded to stay away so that those people with tickets to any of the area's events can get to their seats in time to enjoy Cirque, the Canucks, or Swift (and her opening act, Gracie Abrams).
The City of Vancouver will make the following adjustments to vehicle traffic effective Dec. 6 through 8.
Motorists can expect road closures to be in effect from noon until midnight on each of the three event days.
Road closures
- 700 and 800 blocks of Beatty Street between Smithe Street and West Georgia Street
- Pacific Boulevard from the Cambie Bridge off-ramp to Pat Quinn Way
- Northbound Cambie Street Bridge off-ramp
- 100 block of Robson Street between Cambie Street and Beatty Street.
Street access and passenger zones
Additionally, there will be changes to venue access and special designations along certain streets to allow movement in the area.
- Cambie and Hamilton streets from Smithe Street to West Georgia Street, along with Pacific Boulevard between Pat Quinn Way and Quebec Street will be designated passenger pick-up and drop-off zones, which drivers, taxis and ride shares can use for up to three minutes 
- Street access to hotels and residences in the area will be limited to hotel guests and residents
- Mobi by Rogers is helping to make biking to the events easier by ensuring dock availability near BC Place at the Dunsmuir and Beatty, Expo & Smithe and Carrall & Seawall stations
Using transit to get to and from BC Place
TransLink will be increasing service across all modes of transport during the Eras Tour weekend.
Transit users can expect maximized trip frequency on the SkyTrain and Canada Line and extended hours on all three nights, with the last trips departing Waterfront at 1:15 a.m.
The stops closest to the stadium district are Stadium-Chinatown (SkyTrain Expo Line) and Yaletown-Roundhouse (Canada Line). BC Place is a short walk from both stops.
TransLink will also offer a special shuttle bus route connecting BC Place and Waterfront Station.
The City of Vancouver has created a map to illustrate the road closures, zones, and key transit locations (see slide 2).
