IN PHOTOS: Taylor Swift dazzles fans in Vancouver, calling them 'generous' and 'warm-hearted'

Taylor Swift received a rapturous welcome at B.C. Place Friday for the first of three sold-out shows in Vancouver this weekend that bring her blockbuster Eras Tour to a close. 

The pop star appeared from beneath the stage in a shimmering blue-and-gold sequin bodysuit, kicking off the show around 7:50 p.m. with her usual "Lover" era set to the tune of Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince.

She told the audience there was a reason Canada and Vancouver were chosen as the final stop of the 149-show tour that has spanned five continents.

"Where have the crowds been so generous, so welcoming, so warm-hearted? Where do they know every single word? And they not only sing them, but they scream them? Oh, we've got to go back to Canada, and so here we are in beautiful Vancouver," she said.

She also struck a wistful note, reflecting on the end of the tour that has lasted almost two years.

"This has been a tour of many traditions. It's been a tour of many, many Friday nights. But this will be the last Friday night that we ever play on the Eras Tour."

Outside, fans were singing along in the rain, undeterred by warnings from stadium officials that those without tickets should stay away.

They were watched by dozens of police, but there were no signs of trouble early on, save for some fans having the difficulty of enduring the wintry night in outfits better suited to the dance floor.

Security was tight, with street barricades cutting off some of the downtown core's busiest streets, including West Georgia, Smithe, Beatty and Robson. The closures had snarled traffic in the afternoon.

Support act Gracie Abrams warmed up the crowd before Swift took the stage, calling the tour "the most magical place on Earth." 

She said she would never forget the experience and lamented its end on Sunday.

"Vancouver, I don't know how any of us are supposed to have the words to begin to talk about the end of the Eras Tour, but all I know is that I could not be more grateful to be in the same room as all of you tonight," said Abrams, who also opened all six Toronto dates last month.

Before playing her Grammy-nominated song us., which she co-wrote with Swift, she told the crowd, "We are all the same in that Taylor is my favourite artist and my favourite writer ever."

Swift typically performs for about 3.5 hours, playing songs from across her discography as she moves through various "Eras," each marked by set and outfit changes that reflect the albums.