American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift had a phenomenal 2023. Her Eras Tour, which kicked off in March 2023, surpassed $1 billion in ticket sales after only 60 shows. This is the highest-grossing music tour ever. The record was previously held by Elton John's five-year-long Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. It earned $939 million over 328 shows.
Even more impressive, the Eras Tour earned more than 2023's next two most successful tours (Beyonce and Bruce Springsteen) combined. Furthermore, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was the highest-grossing concert film of all time, earning $261.6 million worldwide.
In October 2023, Swift became the first woman to be named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" for the second time since the tradition began in 1927. With an astounding 26.1 billion streams, the 34-year-old also etched her name in Spotify's books as the most streamed artist of 2023.
Swift's success has helped others as well. In October 2023, she distributed bonuses totaling $55 million to the hundreds of people who helped put on the sold-out shows. Throughout the tour's US leg, Swift also generously gave to local food banks. Her donations not only helped families in need, but also helped raise awareness of food insecurity across America.
Additionally, the Eras Tour brought millions of dollars to the 20 US cities where Swift performed in 2023. A survey of 592 "Swifties" by QuestionPro indicated that fans spent about $93 million per show. That included tickets, merchandise, travel, hotels, food, and outfits. Experts estimate that all the spending added over $5.7 billion to the US economy in 2023.
The Swift "Effect" is also being felt by the National Football League (NFL). The superstar has become a fixture at the Kansas City Chiefs games since she began dating Travis Kelce. Her presence is attracting more female fans to the sport. It has also helped double the sales of Kansas City Chiefs merchandise.
Swift is not done making history just yet. The Eras Tour still has over 90 shows left. The next leg will kickoff in Tokyo, Japan, on February 7, 2024. The singer will also make stops in Australia, Singapore, and France before returning to perform in the US and Canada in Fall 2024. The concerts are being eagerly awaited by both fans and the cities whose economies they will help boost.
Resources:: CNN.com, AlJazeera.com, Wikipedia.org, Fastcompany.com
