Montreal has missed out on its chance to host Taylor Swift's Eras Tour (and generating upwards of $350 million) because the city does not have a venue to hold the event.
While Quebec-based Swifties have been left wondering why the record-breaking tour is stopping in Toronto and Vancouver but not Montreal, the province's tourism minister has confirmed that Olympic Stadium is just not up to snuff.
Caroline Proulx addressed the media on Wednesday (December 13), saying, "Taylor Swift — we missed out on that in Quebec," adding that the stadium currently has approximately 20,000 tears in its roof.
"The tourist spinoff money associated with the presence of Taylor Swift in Toronto was $1,600 US per spectator; 42,000 spectators for five days, that’s $350 million that Quebec and its metropolis missed out on because we currently do not have a stadium that could put on the show," she said.
While Proulx would not disclose just how much the repairs would cost, La Presse estimates it would be in the range of $750 million to $1 billion.
"Doing work on the roof is never really the sexiest thing," she said. "If we wait any longer, in a year or two from now, the Olympic Stadium will be completely closed."
Swift last performed in Montreal at the Bell Centre back on July 7, 2015, for her 1989 tour.
The Eras Tour, meanwhile, is set to land at Toronto's Rogers Centre on November 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23, as well as Vancouver's B.C. Place on December 6, 7 and 8.