Citing Beyoncé bump, mayor wants Bey to stay longer

The latest: We asked Johnson which night he'd be joining the BeyHive this time, but he demurred.

What he's saying: "I'm grateful that we are attracting more big concerts," he told Axios. "Last year in 2024, our [hotel] occupancy rate downtown was almost 70% and our revenue from our downtown development and activity almost approached pre-pandemic numbers."

By the numbers: Cities along the "Cowboy Carter" tour are seeing hotel prices surge by 178% while Airbnb searches for Chicago this weekend rose by 100% earlier this spring.

Yes, but: Which night is the mayor attending? "As far as what I do outside of work, I haven't made a decision yet, quite frankly, but I wish she would stay two more days, because it certainly helps our revenue stream," he said.

• "If you can get the story out in time, I would like Beyoncé to know that if she hangs around for two more days, we'll take good care of her."