Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated Eras Tour kicked off this past weekend with two shows in Glendale, Arizona—now known as Swift City. A three-hour, ten-act show portraying the entirety of Swift’s musical career, the ambitious tour hit milestones before it even began. Presale tickets alone broke records for the number of tickets sold in a single day for any concert. The unprecedented demand for tickets even rippled into political attention, as backlash against Ticketmaster for their handling of sales led to larger discussions about antitrust laws and the site’s monopoly over event ticketing. As the tour begins and Swifties flock to major stadiums across the country, host city residents and businesses may wonder how such a high-profile event might impact them regardless of whether they attend the show themselves.
Professor John Simson, a music industry veteran and director of Kogod’s Business and Entertainment program, explains that crowds of visitors bring both benefits and drawbacks even to cities used to such crowds. Though throngs of fans will increase traffic surrounding the venue and its nearby attractions, the local hospitality industry can expect a notable boost. “These cities can expect increased spending on food, lodging, and other amenities,” Simson says.