Since Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour began this spring, it has been giving local economies across the U.S. a boost – much needed for some as the U.S. continues to crawl out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (an admitted Swiftie) are just some of the official sources who have confirmed the pop star’s economic impact.
Even before the tour, there was a controversy about ticket sales that eventually prompted lawmakers to take action. Audacy went searching for information about how Eras has impacted every city on the tour list so far (according to this official merch) and here is what we found:
· Glendale, Ariz. – When Swift kicked off her tour in Glendale this March, she became the first artist to sell out two nights for the same tour at State Farm Stadium, which also hosted the Super Bowl, according to 12 News.
· Las Vegas, Nev. – Bloomberg reported that the Eras Tour helped drive tourism in Las Vegas to pre-pandemic levels, citing the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
· Arlington, Texas – There, Swift sold out three nights in a row at AT&T Stadium, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
· Tampa, Fla. – “I have not seen an impact from a concert in my tenure like Taylor Swift,” said Hotel Haya general manager Peter Wright, according to Axios Tampa Bay. He’s been in the hospitality business for more than 25 years.
· Houston, Texas – Axios reported that “Swift’s sold-out three-night stint at NRG Stadium — with 72,220 seats – resulted in Houston’s highest hotel revenue week of 2023, according to Houston First Corp., the city’s tourism agency.”
· Atlanta, Ga. – According to Kare 11, Swift is an “economic powerhouse” who “brought thousands” to the city, including customers to local businesses.
· Nashville, Tenn. – In Nashville, a county music destination that Swift once called home, the Eras tour again broke attendance records, per The Tennessean.
· Philadelphia, Pa. – “Despite the slowing recovery in tourism in the region overall, one contact highlighted that May was the strongest month for hotel revenue in Philadelphia since the onset of the pandemic, in large part due to an influx of guests for the Taylor Swift concerts in the city,” said the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
· Foxborough, Mass. – “The hotels around the stadium at Patriots Place are completely booked up and Airbnb rentals are going for over $1,000 a night for one-bedroom apartments or studios anywhere near Foxborough,” Axios reported ahead of Swift’s Massachusetts tour dates.
· East Rutherford, N.J. – What The New York Times called “a seemingly endless parade of Taylor Swift fans wearing flowery dresses, sparkly cowboy boots, sequined T-shirts and handmade friendship bracelets made their way,” to a sold out concert at MetLife stadium in May.
· Chicago, Ill. – “Chicago set its new all-time record for total hotel rooms occupied! Thanks to three nights of Taylor Swift, the ASCO Annual Meeting, the James Beard Awards and more,” said Choose Chicago in a Tweet. “This isn’t just post-pandemic–we had more rooms filled than ever in Chicago’s history!” WBBM also wrote about Swift’s visit to the Windy City.
· Detroit, Mich. – Swift continued her string of sold out tours at Ford Field, according to WWJ Newsradio.
· Pittsburgh, Pa. – “Visit Pittsburgh says her two concerts generated $46 million in direct spending, with 83% of ticket buyers coming from outside Allegheny County,” KDKA reported.
· Minneapolis, Minn. – “Many rooms at... four Twin Cities hotels – two downtown, one in Uptown and the Intercontinental at the airport – booked at more than $500 a night,” said the Star Tribune, which also called the Eras Tour weekend the “biggest” the city had in years.
· Cincinnati, Ohio – “Overall, Swift’s tour generated approximately $90 million for the Cincinnati metropolitan area,” said El País.
· Kansas City, Mo. – Citing data from Visit KC, NPR said that Swift’s concerts at Arrowhead Stadium were projected to result in a direct economic impact of more than $46 million for the Kansas City metro.
· Denver, Colo. – Swift “left a $140 million economic afterglow,” in the city, according to the Colorado Sun.
“There is a certain, you know, strata of superstar artists that that can do this,” said Seth Schachner, former Sony Music executive and current Managing Director of Strat Americas, in a recent interview with KNX Radio about Swift. “And I think, you know, right now for a bunch of reasons, she’s probably the world’s shining example.”
CBS News noted that Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour is also boosting economies this year. Read about the Renaissance Tour’s arrival in Chicago here.
The U.S. leg of the Eras Tour is still going. Next up, Swift is headed to Seattle this weekend, where Komo News predicts her visit will also boost the economy. From there, she has more tour dates in Santa Clara and Los Angeles before she embarks on an international tour.
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