This summer the economy has been affected more than ever, but not in the way many people expected. Taylor Swift, a well-known country and pop singer-songwriter, is improving the economy one city at a time. According to a survey by QuestionPro, The Eras Tour concertgoers spend an average of $1,300 per show. This is $1,000 more than what people spend on any other concert.
It all started on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, when presale codes were sent out to fans worldwide. No one, not even Ticketmaster, expected the high demand for these tickets. On the first day of sales, the ticket-selling site made between $12.5 million and $16.4 million, and over 2 million tickets were sold. However, there was still more to come. Throughout the tour, Swift announced more tour dates all across the world in places like Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Singapore, France, Sweden, Portugal, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Austria, and even added more dated to the US.
Once fans bought their tickets, more and more expenses came along with it, one of them being outfits. Many decided to keep it basic with things they had at home, and others went as far as designing their own costumes, some of which consisted of sewing, gluing, and individually placing thousands of jewels. In another QuestionPro survey, each individual who attended the eras tour spent an average of around $291 on their outfit.
Another one of the big expenses is travel and stay. Some people were simply lucky enough to see her in their own town, but many people flew across the world just to see Swift perform. These expenses include hotel, plane tickets, Uber, gas, etc. When the concert is over, Uber can take over an hour to get through the line to pick you up.
Once you get into the stadium and you think you are done spending money, more expenses come along. During the openers, many people leave their seats to get things like food, drinks, and merch, as the lines tend to shorten during these times. Something as simple as a bottle of water can cost over $16 in most stadiums, and most food items cost over $10. Because venue pricing is so high and unaffordable, many choose to wait until after their show to eat. However, the lines for many places like Taco Bell and McDonald’s can be backed up for hours and even the nicest dining places in town are experiencing hours of wait time. Additionally, parking costs anywhere from $20 to hundreds of dollars, and this can lead you to spend more money than you anticipated.
Many small businesses all over are also experiencing a boost in their sales. Some bakeries have created cookies, cakes, coffee, and even donuts that are Taylor Swift-themed. Local boutiques release Taylor Swift-themed clothing items such as t-shirts. No matter the price, Swift fans, also known as Swifties, are easily persuaded to buy these items. This is especially boosting the businesses surrounding the towns that Swift is performing in. Even hair salons, nail salons, and make-up artists are seeing a rise in their bookings around the time Swift is coming to town as concertgoers are preparing for their shows.
The Kansas City mayor, Quinton Lucas, attended the Eras Tour night one and even traded bracelets with fellow Swifties. Overall, this tour could generate up to $5 billion dollars, which is more than most country’s GDP. The tour isn’t even halfway over yet, what else does Ms. Swift have up her sleeve?
