Loading…
2026 CRHNet Symposium 
← Back to schedule
Ready for It': Learning from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour about concert safety
Thursday May 14, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
PIC 232
Concerts are a venue where popular culture and disaster risk can intersect. The phenomenon of Taylor Swift and the cultural juggernaut of her Eras Tour stops in Canada will be used to illustrate how the emergency management community of scholars and practitioners can situate concerts in the domain of emergency management.

The findings presented are based on research work by York University graduate student Talia Shortt and Professor Jack Rozdilsky who both explored: 1) Implications of the global Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert phenomenon and 2) Local Toronto experiences of the Eras tour. Both case study and participant observation methods were applied to better understand theoretical and practical aspects of concert safety.

In context, Swift’s body of work fosters deep para-social connections where young women and girls feel seen, validated, and find home in a community that actively engages in discussions around personal and social transformation. Unfortunately, in today’s polarized society Swift and her fandom can inadvertently become symbolic targets for those people invested in the preservation of traditional hierarchies and exclusionary ideologies.

Three take-aways that have been derived from study of Swift’s Eras Tour will be highlighted. First, understanding the social and culture contexts of the concert event itself are necessary for emergency managers to comprehend the potential risks present. Second, the recognition by municipalities of the necessity to treat concerts with a level of preparedness similar to that of special events and festivals is important. Third, and perhaps most important, is the need for emergency management authorities to engage in public outreach with concert goers to provide them with tips on how they can be prepared on an individual level to attend mass gatherings. The presentation will conclude with an interactive element engaging the audience in an exercise developing an individual concert safety plan.
Speakers
avatar for Jack Rozdilksy

Jack Rozdilksy

Associate Professor of Disaster and Emergency Management, York University
Jack L. Rozdilsky, Ph.D. is associate professor in the Disaster and Emergency Management program at York University. His professional duties include research, teaching, and service in topics related to disaster social science and emergency management practice. Prior to joining the... Read More →
Thursday May 14, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am MDT
PIC 232 NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre
  Presentation

Sign up or log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Tweet Share

Get help with the event

Contact event planner Event login
View support guides Find upcoming events
Create an event you'd love to attend!
Explore why organizers choose Sched • Success stories
Event App • Event scheduling • Event registration • Event ticketing • Sched forms • Call for papers • Badges • Conferences
© 2026. SCHED LLC - All rights reserved - Helping events since 2008
Meeting Planning Software • Privacy • Terms
Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link