Taylor Swift’s record breaking Eras tour has come to an end, after nearly two years.
Spanning 149 shows across 53 cities around the world, the mega tour only saw one adjustment the entire time, with all dates in Vienna having to be cancelled due to safety after a terrorist threat.
After concluding on Tuesday evening (AEDT) in Vancouver, it has now been confirmed to have broken all time ticket sales records as well, bringing in over US$2 billion.
This was more than double the previous record holder accrued, $939m for Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road.
The Eras tour helped to cement Swift's status as a billionaire as well, back in October of 23, making her the first musician to reach billionaire status primarily based on music and not other capital ventures such as a beauty or fashion line
While all the shows across the 21 month tour drew impressive crowds, Melbourne took the title for the largest with 96,000 people attending each night across her three shows here in February 2024.
These marked the largest shows not just of the tour but of Swift’s whole career.
As it did all over the world, the presence of the Eras tour brought a huge economic and tourism boost to Australia when it landed, driven partially by her only stopping in Melbourne and Sydney, as well as skipping New Zealand and numerous other Asia Pacific region countries.
Azzet spoke with Dr Angel Zhong from RMIT University, who crunched the numbers on the Eras effect back in February, about reflecting on the success of the tour as it came to a close.
“The sheer scale and popularity of the Eras Tour, along with its unprecedented ticket sales and the buzz it created, made it a fascinating subject for economic analysis.” Zhong said. “The overall impact around the world is around A$5 billion.”
“The tour significantly boosted the hospitality, travel, and retail sectors, with Swifties spending heavily on hotels, dining, and merchandise. Financially, the Eras Tour provided a significant boost to local economies, especially in cities that hosted multiple shows.”
In August of 2023 Swift performed for six nights in Los Angeles, which Zhong's reports as creating approximately 3,300 jobs and generated $320 million in local revenue for that city alone.
In a year where many faced financial difficulties and felt the pressure of the cost of living crisis, Zhong said: “the tour offered fans a much-needed escape and a sense of community…[the tour] became a cultural phenomenon.”
With the final show concluded - and a bittersweet nostalgia kicking in for many who attended - Zhong added, “the Eras Tour symbolised hope and resilience, showing how music and community can bring people together and create positive economic and personal impacts even in tough times.”