Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour set to deliver £1 billion boost to UK economy
New research aptly titled 'Swiftonomics' reveals the staggering impact of Swift's popularity.
By Nick Reilly
Taylor Swift‘s ‘Eras Tour’ is expected to provide a boost of £1billion to the UK economy when the singer plays a string of shows this summer.
The singer will play UK shows in Edinburgh, Liverpool, London and Cardiff – with support on all dates coming from a string of special guests including Paramore.
A new report from Business Matters now cites a consumer spending report by Barclays which found that Swift’s UK fans are expected to spend almost £850 each for the overall experience of attending her shows – delivering a significant boost to the UK’s experience economy.
Most of that expenditure will stem from accommodation, tickets, transport and merchandise, though it’s noted that one in five of the 1.1million ticket-holders will purchase new outfits too.
The document, aptly titled ‘Swiftonomics’, also noted that the spending by fans for one ‘Eras Tour’ show is over 12 times the cost of a night out in the United Kingdom – a comparatively meagre £67.
Check out the whole breakdown of spending for the shows below.
– £121 on accommodation
– £110 on transport
– £78 on official merchandise
– £60 on a pre-concert meal
– £56 on a new outfit
– £216 on additional costs such as alcohol, unofficial merchandise, CDs, LPs, and friendship bracelets
Tom Corbett, head of group sponsorship at Barclays, said: “Fans are increasingly going all-out on experiences that resonate on a personal level, turning every concert into a potential holiday, every ticket into a cherished memory and every event into an opportunity to splash out on new outfits, food and merchandise.”
The Eras Tour kicked off its European gig in Paris last weekend, with one show attracting headlines after a baby was spotted on the floor of the venue.
Swift played four gigs at the La Défense Arena in the French capital in the last week, one of which (on May 10) attracted attention when the child was photographed on the venue’s floor.
After the venue and baby’s parents were criticised for the incident, the venue have now shared a statement and said an alternative seating arrangement for the baby and parents was “refused by [the] ticket holders”.
They told Page Six: “[The] general terms and conditions of sale stipulate that all minors (without any age limit) holding a ticket for a concert at Paris La Défense arena must be accompanied by an adult,” it read.
“Under 18 children remain under their legal guardian responsibility, it’s venue policy. For spectators with a young child in the floor, an alternative seating arrangement has been proposed but refused by ticket holders.”
At the first Paris date of the Eras Tour, Swift debuted live versions of her latest double album release: The Tortured Poets Department and The Tortured Poets Department:The Anthology.