Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs during her Eras Tour at Sofi stadium in Inglewood, California, August 7.
New York (CNN Business) 鈥� Taylor Swift鈥檚 era-defining 鈥淓ras鈥� tour is flying like a jet stream, high above the music scene 鈥� by billions of dollars.
The tour could gross $2.2 billion in North American ticket sales alone, according to August survey data from research firm QuestionPro provided to CNN exclusively. That unprecedented total represents primary ticket sales for the US shows that Swift just concluded in Los Angeles, plus a second North American leg coming next year.
The estimated totals are the latest example of the for entertainment and experiences that has helped boost the economy, and more specifically, is a staggering show of Swift鈥檚 star power and influence on .
The average price of pre-sale and first sale tickets was $455.78, and Swift has 68 shows total in North America. The survey did not take into account whether respondents bought one ticket or multiple tickets.
The average attendance per show was 72,459, accounting for closed off areas and floor seats, according to QuestionPro data.
That comes to $2.2 billion 鈥� and that would make 鈥淓ras鈥� the highest-grossing tour ever. Elton John鈥檚 鈥淔arewell Yellow Brick Road鈥� tour was the previous record holder, grossing over $887 million from 2018 to 2023, according to Larry Miller, director of the music business program at New York University Steinhardt.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about a global pop artist who faces virtually infinite demand for those tickets,鈥� said Miller of Swift.
鈥淓ras鈥� has become one of the biggest social events of the year, with concertgoers doling out thousands of dollars on tickets, outfits, transportation and travel accommodations. Concertgoers participating in a QuestionPro poll of 862 people who say they attended at least one 鈥淓ras鈥� concert said they spent an average of $291.62 each on their outfits, $214.80 on merchandise and $131.48 for food and drinks.
鈥楢n economic phenomenon鈥�
鈥淭aylor Swift鈥檚 鈥楨ras鈥� tour is rewriting the playbook of entertainment economics,鈥� said Chris Leyden, director of growth marketing at SeatGeek. 鈥淪he鈥檚 not just a performer 鈥� she鈥檚 an economic phenomenon.鈥�
The average resale price of an 鈥淓ras鈥� ticket was $1,607, SeatGeek told CNN. That鈥檚 up 741% from her 鈥淩eputation鈥� tour in 2018, during which the average resale ticket price was $191.
A representative for Swift did not respond to CNN鈥檚 requests for comment.
Swift finished her last US 鈥淓ras鈥� show of this year in Los Angeles in August 鈥� but not without adding international tour dates, another North American leg of the tour, announcing re-recordings of her albums 鈥�1989鈥� and 鈥淪peak Now鈥� and releasing the latter album. She kicks off the Latin American leg of her tour later this month.
So far, the economic impact of Swift鈥檚 blockbuster tour has been wide-ranging.
Earlier this month, truckers for the tour were given , which one trucking company head called 鈥渓ife-changing.鈥�
Food banks across the country in the communities where she has performed have said they received , allowing pantries to replenish their inventories. One food bank network in Arizona said Swift鈥檚 donation allowed it to send several tractor-trailers filled with 40,000 pounds of fresh produce to its member food banks.
鈥淭aylor Swift鈥檚 donation certainly helped at a time when we鈥檙e seeing the need climb and climb and climb,鈥� .
Retailers have from concertgoers looking for clothes that match the theme of Swift鈥檚 鈥渆ras.鈥� Shops are marketing outfits featuring everything from sundresses and metallic boots to romantic, breezy long dresses and daring red gowns to Swifites shopping for concert looks.
Swift even earned a nod in the Federal Reserve鈥檚 Beige Book, a collection of survey responses from businesses around the country. According to one business, 鈥淢ay was the strongest month for hotel revenue in Philadelphia since the onset of the pandemic, in large part due to an influx of guests for the Taylor Swift concerts in the city,鈥� Fed officials wrote.
Swift kicked off the highly-anticipated 鈥淓ras鈥� 鈥� her first tour since her 鈥淩eputation鈥� stadium tour in 2018 鈥� in March. The show features an expansive, roughly three-hour long set list that spans 14 years of her career.
The Ticketmaster meltdown
Hell was the journey for Swifties who sought tickets, though it brought those who secured them heaven. The heavy demand last November, when pre-sale tickets first went live, leaving some verified fans locked out even with access codes. That spurred some Swifties to against Ticketmaster and a top executive from parent-company Live Nation Entertainment during a three-hour hearing.
Ticketmaster did not respond to CNN鈥檚 requests for comment.
Fans who couldn鈥檛 secure tickets weren鈥檛 deterred from heading to concert venue parking lots to listen from there, according to data analytics platform Placer.ai.
During the three nights of the tour鈥檚 stop in Nashville, Tennessee, about 33% of the Nissan Stadium鈥檚 total crowd during the concerts stood outside the venue in parking lots to tailgate. Groups also gathered at stops in Philadelphia and Arlington, Texas.
鈥淲e鈥檝e never seen anything like this,鈥� said Ethan Chernofsky, senior vice president of marketing at Placer.ai, noting that the phenomenon is reminiscent of die-hard sports fans tailgating outside stadiums. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just not concert behavior.鈥�
Swift鈥檚 tour is slated to conclude in late 2024, provided she doesn鈥檛 extend the tour yet again. Miller says that while it鈥檚 tough to imagine another musical artist beating her 鈥淓ras鈥� record, it鈥檚 not impossible to see Swift topping it herself.
鈥淲hen it comes to Taylor, I鈥檝e learned to never say never,鈥� he said.
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