NEW ORLEANS — We are days away from pop superstar Taylor Swift taking over New Orleans. Swift will headline three sold-out shows at the Superdome starting Friday night.
New Orleans is one of 23 U.S. stops on Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour. The tour is reportedly the highest-grossing concert tour of all time.
No act has ever headlined the Superdome three consecutive nights, let alone sold more than 150,000 tickets in one day.
Tourism officials at New Orleans & Company are calling it a 'Taylor takeover.'
There are 26,000 hotel rooms across the CBD, French Quarter and Warehouse District. All of them are sold out Friday and Saturday night, and they are at 80 percent capacity for Sunday night, according to New Orleans & Co.
Some fans will opt for a short-term rental. The list below shows where the highest number of Airbnb guests are traveling in from for the weekend of the concert, according to Airbnb.
- Houston
- Austin
- Denver
- Atlanta
- San Antonio
- Dallas
- New York City
- Seattle
- Memphis
- Salem
It's obvious Swift's three-night stop will boost our economy, but just how much?
The U.S. Travel Association estimated the average 'Swiftie' spent $1,300 in local economies during the first leg of the Eras Tour. That includes travel, hotels, food, merchandise and costumes.
If you multiply $1,300 by the 150,000 fans who are expected to attend the three concerts, it comes to $195 million.
Of course, we won't know the exact figure of Swift's impact on the Crescent City economy until she's gone.
We do know that restaurants, bars and other businesses are ready for it. Advertisements for specialty cocktails, themed menus and friendship bracelet events have been going around on social media for months.
“It’s really a nice thing to see our hospitality community and how creative they are," Senior VP of Communications at New Orleans & Co. Kelly Schulz said, "And we think that when her fans come to New Orleans they’ll get a unique experience and we’re happy to be part of this global, iconic event.”
Tickets are sold out on TicketMaster. However, some resale sites show them ranging from $1,000-$115,000 depending on location. If you are buying tickets, beware of scammers.
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