Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Mar 13, 2026

The Taylor Swift economy motors on

The Taylor Swift economy motors on

Analysts say Swift's US Eras Tour could generate $642 million to $728 million

The ongoing Eras Tour has not just been lucrative for Taylor Swift – the economies of the cities that she has stopped at have massively financially benefited as well.

The songstress has just under half of her 52 scheduled tour dates under her belt so far, most recently singing her hits to fans at three sold-out stadium shows in Foxborough, Massachusetts, over the past weekend. For one of those concerts, a father said he spent $21,000 on a reseller site to get four tickets for his daughter and her friends after a ticketing issue.

Swift’s sold-out performances at Foxborough had been preceded by the same for her three shows in Nashville, Tennessee, and her three dates in Philadelphia.

John Simson, the director of the business and entertainment program at American University’s Kogod School of Business Management Department, told FOX Business her tour is having a "huge effect" on local economies, noting there is "maybe a handful of artists who are at that level where people are willing to essentially buy a ticket wherever they can and then travel," including her.

He pointed to a Live Nation-commissioned Oxford Economics study, published in 2021, that said live events such as concerts brought $55.2 billion of direct spending to local economies overall in pre-COVID 2019, $32.6 billion of which came from visiting overnight attendees and daytrippers. It also said a $100 purchase of a concert ticket by a non-local attendee would come with about $330 in spending in the local economy.

"So double that [per-ticket additional spending] for Taylor because obviously the ticket prices are at least $200 on average, maybe even higher from all the reports," Simson said.

Some local sectors of the economy that have benefited from Swift being in town include restaurants, hotels, transportation and recreation.

Local museums, clubs, malls and other venues also see positive impact from spending that coincides with Swift’s tour, according to Simson. Other concerts in town can as well.

"The other factor that may impact this is when you have a show in Foxborough, it’s very different than if you have a show that’s in the city because obviously there’s way more in terms of restaurants and other things to do," Simson said. "Like if you went to Taylor Swift in Nashville, maybe you’d go to the Wildhorse Saloon or the Grand Ole Opry. You’d make a trip of it, and you’d add two or three more things."

Nearly 212,000 total people attended Swift’s three shows in Nashville, including some 71,000 on May 7, according to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC). Per the organization, attendance records were set on a single-event and weekend basis for Nissan Stadium.

Guests attend night three of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium on May 7, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.


"As an anchor of a star-studded weekend in Music City, Nashville’s hotel occupancy rate reached a staggering 97% at the peak of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour," Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Ralph Schulz said in a statement to FOX Business. "With three sold-out concerts, the tour generated tens of millions in direct visitor spending, boosting local businesses and supporting job growth, while also showcasing Nashville as a premier destination for music enthusiasts worldwide."

Nashville had other events that weekend, including a brewing-related convention, a show by Janet Jackson and three nights of stand-up from Trevor Noah, according to the NCVC. Three universities also had graduations, one of which Oprah Winfrey delivered the commencement at.

In other cities like Phoenix, Houston and Tampa, Florida, hotels saw notably high occupancy rates on the weekends Swift performed, according to local reports.

What a musician makes per-show on tour varies, as each out "has different economics," Simson said.

Many artists have various people like agents, managers and business managers they work with that each take percentages from the shows, he explained. He said the performers get to renegotiate such terms to "make them more reasonable" as they become more popular.

The number of tickets sold, their prices and the capacity of the venue also factor in.

"I would think $5-6 million grosses are probably in the ballpark of what [Swift] is doing right now," Simson said.

Swift’s entire U.S. Eras Tour could generate $642 million to $728 million, according to a March estimate from music industry publication Pollstar.

Fans will next see the singer in East Rutherford, New Jersey for a trio of dates starting Friday.

Taylor Swift performs onstage for night three of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium on May 7, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.


Swift’s three-hour-long concerts, her first since 2018, feature "Shake it Off," "Fearless" and a slew of other hits, plus two surprise songs, according to reports. Many fans who could not land tickets have "Taylor-gated" outside the stadiums to hear her live.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Saudi Arabia Slashes Oil Output as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Cuts Deep Into Gulf Revenues
Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Scene Presses Ahead as Nation Navigates Regional War
Saudi-Pakistan Defence Pact Faces Real-World Constraints as Iran War Escalates
Saudi Arabia Offers Two Million Barrels of Crude From Red Sea as War Disrupts Gulf Exports
Formula One Faces Tens of Millions in Lost Revenue if Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Races Are Cancelled
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Middle East War
Saudi Arabia Downs Dozens of Iranian Drones in Major Defensive Operation
Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Output by About Twenty Percent as Iran War Disrupts Gulf Energy Flows
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Iran War
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Saudi Arabia Launches Royal Institute of Anthropology to Examine Social Transformation
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Arrives in Saudi Arabia for High-Level Talks
Saudi Aramco Turns to Ukrainian Drone Interceptors to Shield Oil Infrastructure from Iranian Threats
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Rising Iran Conflict Casts Shadow Over Saudi Arabia’s $38 Billion Gaming Industry Ambitions
Iran Launches Missile and Drone Strikes Across Gulf as Oil Prices Surge Past $100
Saudi Air Defences Destroy Three Drones Targeting Strategic Shaybah Oil Field
Debate Grows Over Saudi Arabia’s Role in Sudan War Amid US Alliance Questions
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Travels to Saudi Arabia After Discussions With Iranian Leadership
Two Strategic Pipelines Allow Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Bypass the Strait of Hormuz
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Iran warns of $200 oil as forces target merchant ships in Gulf
Japan to Release 45 Days of Oil Reserves Amid Iran Conflict
Saudi Red Sea Oil Exports Set for Record in March as Kingdom Reroutes Crude Amid Hormuz Crisis
Saudi Arabia Seeks Belgian Military Support After Iranian Missile Attacks
Saudi Arabia Welcomes US Decision to Designate Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organisation
Saudi Aramco Plans Dual Gulf and Red Sea Export Routes as Iran Crisis Disrupts Oil Shipments
Saudi Cabinet Condemns Iranian Attacks and Reaffirms Kingdom’s Right to Defend Its Sovereignty
Ukraine Deploys Counter-Drone Teams to Gulf States as Iranian Drone Threat Expands
Bahrain Grand Prix Faces Uncertainty as Saudi Arabia Works to Keep Formula One Race on Track
Saudi Arabia Faces New Strategic Dilemma in Yemen as Regional War Reshapes Calculations
OPEC Confirms Saudi-Led Oil Output Increase as Iran War Disrupts Global Energy Markets
Pakistan Pledges Rapid Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
Aramco Warns Global Oil Market Faces ‘Catastrophic’ Shock if Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed
Iran Launches Drone and Missile Attacks Across Gulf Targets Including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain
Saudi Arabia Elevates Fahad Al-Saif as Vision 2030 Enters Crucial Implementation Phase
Saudi Aramco Expands Routes to Move Oil Without Reliance on the Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Reaffirm Mutual Defense Cooperation Following Iran Strike
Saudi Arabia Plans Major Ukrainian Arms Deal to Counter Iranian Drone Threat
Pentagon Signals Intensification of U.S. Air Campaign as Iran Conflict Escalates
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham Raises Prospect of Mutual Defense Pact With Saudi Arabia Amid Iran Conflict
Why Saudi Arabia Is Unlikely to Have Wanted U.S. Airstrikes on Iran
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Oil Exports Set to Reach Record High as Gulf Routes Face Disruption
Saudi Arabia Pushes East–West Oil Pipeline Toward Full Capacity as Hormuz Crisis Disrupts Global Energy Flows
Oil Prices Retreat From Peak as G7 Weighs Release of Strategic Reserves
Pentagon Identifies U.S. Soldier Who Died After Iranian Strike on Saudi Air Base
×