Here's how much Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is generating for Denver's economy
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Photo Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios; Photos: Octavio Jones, Terence Rushin/Getty Images
Are you ready for it?
What's happening: Taylor Swift's two-night Eras Tour — poised to be one of the highest-grossing of all time — touches down in Denver this weekend, and the dollars are already rolling in.
Driving the news: The superstar's shows Friday and Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High are estimated to bring in $140 million to Colorado's gross domestic product, according to a new report from the Common Sense Institute, a business industry think tank.
By the numbers: Swifties are expected to splurge more than $200 million inside and out of downtown's stadium in direct consumer spending, the analysis shows.
- The city is expecting roughly 75,000 attendees at both sold-out performances, and polling indicates each concertgoer will spend an average of $1,327 on tickets, travel, lodging, food and merch.
- Total ticket sales for Swift's concerts this weekend are estimated near $38 million. That's equivalent to 63% of tickets sold at Red Rocks in all of 2022.
State of play: The influx of Swifties is temporarily reshaping the city, from the way public transit operates to what businesses are selling and politicians are saying.
Zoom in: The Regional Transportation District is ramping up service with extra train cars Friday and Saturday to accommodate the flood of fans.
- Restaurants and bars are offering Swift-themed menu items, while businesses ranging from local theaters to makeup artists are capitalizing on the fan frenzy.
- Swift even inspired Gov. Jared Polis to pen this lyric-filled (and cringeworthy) welcome letter, which he dubbed "Jared's Version," in excitement of her arrival.
Plus: Some hotels have been benefiting from the economic windfall for weeks, the Denver Gazette reports.
- "This is probably the biggest concert response we've ever seen. Our rates are higher than [they've] ever been," said Tiffany Owen, who manages the Maven and Rally hotels downtown.
The other side: Bad actors are also prowling and ready to pounce on the lucrative opportunity. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser issued a warning this week about ticket scammers, advising fans to make sure they're buying authentic passes.
The big picture: It's "Swiftonomics."
- The 52-night, 20-city U.S. tour could generate $4.6 billion for local economies across the country, Fortune reports.
Go deeper: Inside the booming Taylor Swift economy