Dozens of tractor-trailers arrived on the North Shore earlier this week ahead of what is likely to be the hottest ticket in town for the year.
Taylor Swift will play shows in Pittsburgh Friday and Saturday, both of which are expected to draw massive crowds. People hoping to get their hands on concert merchandise early lined up outside of Acrisure Stadium Thursday morning.
"This is probably the biggest event I would say in the city in quite some time," said Burt Lauten, spokesperson for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Acrisure Stadium. "Both concerts Friday and Saturday are sold out."
Most local restaurants and hotels are booked solid through the weekend, illustrating the economic boost that seems to follow the Eras Tour.
A Fortune article estimates the tour will generate $4.6 billion for the local economy. Along with revenue for tickets, travel and dining, the tour is also a boost for flexible labor.
Instawork connects workers to flexible labor opportunities. Chief Economist Daniel Altman says demand for temporary positions at stadiums, hotels and restaurants have skyrocketed in towns along the Era's Tour.
"In the immediate area of a stadium, sort of a half mile radius, we have an increase in the demand for flexible work of up to 1000 percent during her dates," he said. "What we look at additionally is what happens in the greater radius in that community. If we actually exclude the area immediately around the stadium, we find that there's still a 500 percent increase in the demand for flexible labor in a five mile radius around that arena. That's just an incredibly large impact on the local economy."
Altman says while ticketholders for Taylor Swift's shows play a big role in the economic boost, those who don't have tickets are still big moneymakers.
In many cities, fans without tickets gathered outside the stadium hoping to catch a snippet of the snow.
"There are tens of thousands of people who are willing to be outside the stadium, in the general neighborhood of the stadium who still feel like they're catching some of that buzz. Those people are also contributing a huge amount to the local economy."
Stadiums on more recent stops of the Eras Tour have asked fans not to congregate outside of stadiums. Acrisure Stadium and Pittsburgh Public Safety are following suit.
During a news conference Wednesday, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said they want to reduce the number of non-ticketholders on the North Shore.
"We know that those who are not attending still want to be a part of the experience, but we're asking if you do not have tickets that you do not add to the volume of people on the North Shore," he said. "We don't really have areas to listen or for you to stand around the stadium safely."
North Shore parking lots open at 1:30 p.m. only for ticketholders.
Pittsburgh Public Safety will have all hands on deck as the city also hosts Juneteenth celebrations throughout the weekend.
