Backstreet Boys’ 12-show Toronto run offers millennials a ticket to simpler times

When the Backstreet Boys announced their 12-show Toronto tour for 2027, 35-year-old Vancouver fan Chelsea Smith knew what she had to do. "Here’s my credit card, take all my money," she declared, preparing to spend roughly $600 on tickets. Smith isn't alone in her enthusiasm. Nearly three decades after their commercial peak, the boy band is drawing huge crowds to Toronto's Rogers Centre, more than doubling the previous record set by Taylor Swift.

While some current artists are cancelling tours due to low ticket sales, the Backstreet Boys are thriving on nostalgia. Fans like Smith believe the pandemic pushed them back to simpler times, seeking comfort in the past. Bill Welychka, a former MuchMusic VJ, recalls the frenzy the band created in Toronto during the late '90s, with thousands of screaming teenagers descending on Queen Street West.

Now, the nostalgia market is fueling the concert industry, with millennials willing to spend more on premium tickets to relive their youth.