1. Dozens of performances in over 10 countries
The European tour kicked off in Paris on May 9 and was scheduled to play over 50 shows in France, Sweden, Ireland, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Austria, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland, before concluding with a performance in London on August 20.
Several European cities reported a surge in demand for hotels and short-term rental accommodation over the summer after the dates were announced, with BBC Scotland reporting that the shortage was so severe that several homeless people were sent by taxi to Aberdeen and Glasgow.
Transport links around Shaw have also been strengthened in some areas, for example Irish Rail operates extra late night trains to Cork and Limerick.
2. Earthquake magnitude
It's not all tagging and friendship bracelets: Swiftonomics is serious business. The UK tour was expected to boost the UK economy by £1 billion, with around 1.2 million fans attending concerts in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff and London.
Barclays estimated that each tour-goer spent an average of £848 on the experience, sparking a short-term rise in inflation, but some economists have expressed skepticism about the true impact of Swift's tour on the economy, arguing that the £1 billion figure is exaggerated.
Swift's decision to donate to food banks in the cities she visits on tour allowed Cardiff food banks to purchase a truck full of supplies, while Liverpool food banks announced they would cover 12 months' worth of donations.
A team of geophysicists recorded ground seismic waves generated by dancing fans at Wembley Stadium over three nights, from 21 to 23 June, and found that the songs “Love Story” and “Shake It Off” produced the equivalent of a magnitude 0.8 earthquake.
3. Tragic Background
On July 29th, three girls were murdered in a horrific attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, just before Swift was due to arrive in the UK.
Swift is believed to have been in personal contact with the families of the three Southport stabbing victims – six-year-old Bebe King, nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe.
After the attack, which left 10 people injured, Swift released a statement saying she was “completely shocked” and “deeply unsure how to express my sympathies to the families.”
Swift then hosted two young survivors for a rare meet-and-greet backstage at the Wembley show, and photos posted to TikTok show Autumn and Hope Foster posing with Swift as they attended a dance class.
4. The highest grossing tour of all time
Swift's global “Eras” tour is on track to gross more than $1 billion (£770 million) in 2024 alone – it became the first tour to surpass that figure last year, making Swift the first person to become a billionaire solely from music.
Pollstar, a trade publication that compiles data for the live-music industry, estimated that the tour's first 60 shows will gross just over $1 billion, meaning Swift is selling an average of 72,000 tickets at $239 apiece, earning her $17 million per show.
The industry standard is that artists receive about 85% of ticket sales, meaning Swift makes about $14.7 million per show. Her total earnings are estimated to be more than $2 billion, not including tour operating costs.
Tour merchandise sells for an average of $51 per piece in the US and £52 in the UK.
5. A terrorist plot thwarted
The Vienna leg of Swift's “Erasure” tour was cancelled after three people were arrested in the Austrian capital for allegedly trying to attack a public event believed to be a planned Swift performance.
Police said one of the suspects confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venues.” Each of the three concerts was expected to draw an estimated 20,000 to 35,000 ticketless crowds outside Ernst Happel Stadium.
As a result, security has been stepped up at subsequent UK shows, and fans often gather outside the venue to sing together, but Wembley has warned that such gatherings will be put on hold.
