This weekend, Taylor Swift concluded her almost two-year international tour in Vancouver. The record-breaking “Eras Tour” began in March 2023 in Glendale, Arizona and traveled worldwide to five continents with 152 show dates. During her 3.5-hour shows, Swift covered songs from almost every album (sadly, no set design for her debut album) and surprised fans with different acoustic versions of songs not on the setlist for each show. Her tour was accompanied by various openers, from rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter to longstanding rock band Paramore. Her tour has revolutionized the music industry and cemented her as a formidable pop star for years to come.
Swiftonomics: Swift’s impact on the global economy
Before the tour started, her fans broke Ticketmaster as a surge of fans attempted to join the queue for a small chance to secure coveted tickets. Fans who weren’t lucky enough to get a ticket in the initial “Great War” (also a song from her Midnights album) had to shell out hundreds more than face value with resellers. That is only the beginning of Swift’s economic impact on the many cities visited during her tour. The “Eras Tour” is the highest-grossing tour in history, estimated to have generated over $1 billion. In individual cities, “Swiftonomics” was in full swing, referring to the economic impact of Swift’s tour presence. There were an average of 54,000 fans in attendance during each show, many of which traveled from another region to attend. Those fans contributed to transportation, lodging, and food/drink costs in the cities that they traveled to. During Swift’s two days in Cincinnati, fans generated $48 million in concert revenue alone and an additional $92 million in local spending. This effect can be seen in practically every tour stop, including record-breaking hotel revenue in both Chicago and Philadelphia.
Internationally, Swift has had a massive impact on the economy as well. Since European laws are much stricter in regards to “demand pricing,” the idea that a higher demand allows companies to charge more, meant that tickets for the European leg were much cheaper compared to the North American leg. Because of this, hotels in Liverpool, Cardiff, and Edinborough were sold out a year before she arrived in Europe. There was worry, however, among European economists that Swift’s presence would increase the rate of inflation because hotels would charge more. While Swift may be quite an “Enchanting” presence, the slight rise in inflation in European countries cannot fully be attributed to her. In Japan, it was estimated that Swifties brought in more than $220 million in concert sales and city spending.
Swift also redefined the expectations for artists. Since her tour started in early 2023, the artist released two re-records and one brand-new album. In addition, she pushed music videos, singles, and merchandise. The screenings for “Taylor Swift’s: The Eras Tour” began in late 2023, while her tour was still nowhere near ended, and the singer recently dropped a book featuring images from the tour. To say she’s been busy is an understatement. Despite the many releases, fans are always hungry for more. Swifties are often criticized for being too harsh on the singer, analyzing everything produced by Swift for clues or “easter eggs” as to when her next surprise will be unveiled. Before announcing albums in the past, the singer was well-known for including secret codes in her social media posts. It can be easy to fall down the rabbit hole of fan theories about her next big announcement, but it’s important to remember that Swift is a person like any of us and shouldn’t be under constant scrutiny.
Taylor Swift’s scandals
We can’t talk about Swift and the impact of the Eras Tour without mentioning the controversy stirred up along the way. Swift’s love life is far from a secret, and those relationships were very much in the spotlight during the tour. Swift began dating Chiefs player Travis Kelce in the summer of 2023, and they have both been at each other’s sides since. NFL fans have “Bad Blood” with the singer who is featured on the sidelines of the games, though others are excited at the prospect that some Swifties became more interested in the sport. Swift maximized her spotlight during the 2024 Grammy’s by announcing her newest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” though not all were happy to see this. Some argued that Swift overshadowed other artists who also won awards.
Arguably, her most infamous scandal is Swift’s excessive use of her two private jets. While it’s no secret that celebrities often use private jets to travel for events, Swift’s use far exceeds everyone else’s. In 2023 alone, the singer took more than 100 trips on her jet, resulting in a carbon footprint that is 1,000 times higher than the average American. Jack Sweeney, a University of Central Florida student, created an account that tracks celebrity’s use of private planes and helicopters based on publicly-available flight data. He received a cease letter from Swift’s legal team, citing his behavior as “stalking and harassing.” Swift defends her environmental impact by incorporating “carbon credits” during her tour to offset the emissions from her travel. Carbon credits are carbon-capture initiatives, like tree-planting or renewable energy sources that can be purchased by corporations and celebrities to “make up for” their emissions. Critics argue that these credits allow Swift to become lax with her environmental impact and call her efforts greenwashing. It’s important that all celebrities, Swift included, are held accountable for their actions.
Whether you’re a fan of Swift’s music or not, her global effect as a result of her tour is undeniable. Swift made history in so many ways and has proven that she is a force to be reckoned with. It’s clear that she won’t be slowing down anytime soon, and we’re so excited to see what she does next!