Taylor Swift breaks silence over Vienna terror threat

Taylor Swift has spoken for the first time about the three Austria shows on her Eras tour that were cancelled earlier this month after a foiled terror attack.

Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium was due to host three 65,000-cap shows by the singer from 8-10 August, but co-promoter Barracuda Music pulled the concerts the night before.

The planned terror attack was uncovered by Austrian authorities who eventually arrested three teenage suspects – aged 17, 18 and 19 – for allegedly planning an Islamist attack in the Vienna region, with Swift’s shows being the “focus” of the plot.

The 19-year-old main suspect intended “either today or tomorrow to kill himself and a large crowd of people,” according to the head of state protection and intelligence at the Austrian interior ministry.

Chemicals, machetes and technical devices had been found at the home of the suspect, who made “an oath of allegiance” to Islamic State at the start of July.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday night celebrating the end of the Eras tour’s European leg, Swift said she is grateful “we were grieving concerts and not lives”.

“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows,” the 34-year-old singer wrote.

“I was so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives”

“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives. I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together. I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London.

“My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.”

Explaining why she stayed silent on the terror threats, Swift said: “Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows.”

“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that.”

Following the foiled terror plot, security measures were enhanced for Coldplay’s residency at Ernst Happel Stadium – the first concerts to take place at the venue since the cancellations. Last night, Coldplay and show opener Maggie Rogers performed Swift’s smash-hit ‘Love Story’ as an ode to her Austrian fans.

The European leg of the Eras tour concluded on Tuesday (20 August) night at Wembley Stadium – the last of eight concerts at the London venue.

The tour will now take a two-month break before restarting in the US at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on 18 October. As things stand, it is set to wrap up in Vancouver, Canada on 8 December.

IQ yesterday asked a raft of live music executives how Taylor Swift’s Eras tour became a cultural phenomenon.

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Swiss promoter hails Eras Tour’s ‘economic factor’

Swiss live music pioneer André Béchir has praised the economic impact of Taylor Swift’s forthcoming Zurich concerts, revealing that thousands of fans are travelling from outside Switzerland to attend the shows.

Swift will perform at the city’s Letzigrund Stadium on 9-10 July, promoted by AEG Presents, TAKK, Gadget abc Entertainment Group and Taylor Swift Touring, as part of the European leg of The Eras Tour.

“With an entourage of around 200 people, Taylor Swift is on the road with the largest tour group in the world,” Béchir tells Blick. “Around 100,000 fans will come to her two concerts. Well over 10,000 are traveling from abroad, as we can see from the ticket sales.”

Béchir leads CTS Eventim-backed TAKK ab Entertainment AG, which was established last year, alongside TAKK Productions founder Sebastien Vuignier and IQ New Bosses alumnus Théo Quiblier. Béchir’s abc Production was amalgamated with Gadget and Wepromote by CTS shortly before the pandemic hit.

“Taylor Swift’s importance for Zurich is totally underestimated,” adds Béchir. “After we announced it, hotel room prices were on average a hundred francs more expensive the next day.

“We are assuming that the fans will arrive early, which will be an unprecedented challenge for traffic and the corresponding security measures. The authorities involved and the stadium have been informed accordingly. It still doesn’t seem to be clear in the minds of those responsible here that Taylor Swift is not just a concert, but an economic factor.”

“Concerts of this magnitude are of great importance for local businesses and suppliers, the hotel industry and the catering industry”

“Concerts of this magnitude are of great importance for local businesses and suppliers, the hotel industry and the catering industry,” says the City of Zurich’s communications department. “Since the ‘Swifties’ are considered particularly committed, just a single photo of the superstar from Switzerland on social media can have a huge advertising effect.”

Swift’s 17-19 May concerts at Sweden’s Friends Arena (cap. 50,000) are also expected to be a “real hit” for Stockholm’s economy. According to calculations by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and Friends Arena, Swifties attending the concerts are expected to spend half a billion kroner (€43.6m).

According to the SCC, almost half of the 150,000 fans attending Swift’s Stockholm concerts will come from abroad, with people from 132 countries, including USA, Finland and Australia, set to flock to the shows in the Swedish capital.

Meanwhile, the opening leg of The Eras Tour, which ran to 50+ dates from March to August 2023, reputedly contributed $5.7 billion to the US economy. The Washington Post reported that her SoFi Stadium residency in Inglewood, California, brought an estimated $320 million alone to the Los Angeles economy.

Swift and other A-list stars have also been credited with helping to rejuvenate tourism in Singapore after the country secured a much-debated exclusivity deal with the star.

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Taylor Swift set to break Scotland’s stadium record

Taylor Swift is set to break the record for Scotland’s biggest-selling stadium show when she performs at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield on 7, 8, and 9 June.

On Monday (25 March), Edinburgh Council granted promoter AEG Presents permission to increase Murrayfield’s capacity by 8.73% from 67,130 to 72,990.

The concerts will see Swift unseat previous record holder Harry Styles, who performed to more than 65,000 fans at the same venue in 2023.

Prior to that, Styles’ band One Direction held the title for selling 64,000 tickets there in 2014.

Swift’s Scotland shows will be part of her highly successful Eras Tour, which has grossed more than $1bn (€927m) since beginning on 17 March last year.

“My dad is super proud of our Scottish heritage”

Swift last year described Scotland as “a really special place”. “Last time I was there the crowd were amazing and I felt like we really connected. My dad is super proud of our Scottish heritage – he told me that pretty much most of our family can be traced back to Scotland so of course it’s obviously very cool for me to get to perform there as part of the tour.”

Like many cities featured on the Eras Tour, Edinburgh has noted a boost in the local economy with more than 20 around the city centre sold out over the three dates.

Recently, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce calculated that Swifties attending three concerts at Friends Arena are expected to spend half a billion kroner (€43.6m).

The Eras Tour will resume in May with the European leg, which kicks off at LA Défense Arena in Paris. In the meantime, Swift’s next album, The Tortured Poets Department, is due out on 19 April.

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The biggest live music stories of 2023

As we prepare to wave goodbye to 2023, IQ offers a snapshot of the biggest live music business stories from the past 12 months. From Taylor Swift’s record-shattering Eras Tour to mergers and acquisitions, catch up on some of the year’s most newsworthy moments below…

Taylor Swift’s Eras becomes first $1 billion tour

Taylor Swift’s planet-conquering Eras Tour officially became the first tour in history to surpass $1 billion in revenue. The American superstar came out on top in an unprecedented year for the concert industry, with business up double-digit percentages in virtually every metric, according to Pollstar’s 2023 Year-End charts.

Total grosses for the Top 100 Worldwide Tours were up 46% to a $9.17bn (2022’s total was $6.28bn) and attendance was up 18.38% in total tickets sold to 70.1 million (2022’s total was 59.2 million). Swift took in an estimated ticket gross of $1.04 billion, with 4.35 million tickets sold from 60 shows, with Pollstar projecting that Eras Tour ticket sales will again hit $1 billion in the next box office year, taking its overall total to more than $2 billion.

The run dominated the conversation right from the start of the year, with Live Nation CFO Joe Berchtold defending Ticketmaster’s practices in a US Senate antitrust panel in January, spurred by the fallout from 2022’s Eras presale.

The list of 2023’s Top 10 Worldwide Tours was completed by Beyoncé (No. 2), Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (No. 3), Coldplay (No. 4), Harry Styles (No. 5), Morgan Wallen (No. 6), Ed Sheeran (No. 7), P!nk (No. 8), The Weeknd (No. 9), and Drake (No. 10).

U2 launch Las Vegas Sphere to rave reviews

U2 ushered in “a new era in live entertainment” with the premiere of their 40-night U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere residency.

The Irish legends opened Sphere Entertainment’s $2.3 billion Sphere in Las Vegas to rave reviews in late September. The futuristic venue features a 160,000 sq. foot LED display inside the main venue, which wraps up, over and around the audience for a fully immersive experience in cutting-edge 16K x 16K resolution.

American rock band Phish are the next major act to be confirmed and will deliver a four-show run from 18-21 April,

However, plans for a London replica hit the buffers when London Mayor Sadiq Khan rejected the proposals on the basis they “would result in an unacceptable negative impact on local residents”. Levelling-up secretary Michael Gove has since ordered a six-week pause as he considers whether to call in the application for the development.

In the meantime, Sphere Entertainment/Madison Square Garden boss James Dolan is reported to be in “serious talks” to build a second Sphere – this time in Abu Dhabi.

Legends announces acquisition of ASM Global

Legends confirmed its long-rumoured acquisition of venue management giant ASM Global in November, creating a premium global live events company.

Founded in 2008, premium experiences specialist Legends – which is backed by global investment firm Sixth Street – provides venue planning and project management, premium sales, sponsorship, hospitality and merchandise services.

ASM, which was formed in 2019 following a merger between arena operators AEG Facilities and Onex’s SMG, operates buildings including ICC Sydney Convention Center, Avicii Arena in Stockholm and OVO Arena Wembley.

The reported $2.4 billion deal is designed to enhance Legends’ services portfolio, positioning it to “meet the expanding needs” of sports organisations, venues and attractions around the globe, while “supporting its vision to deliver exceptional live experiences for fans in the digital age”.

Supernova attack ‘the biggest ever disaster at a music festival’

At least 364 people were killed and dozens of others abducted at Israel’s Supernova Sukkot festival 7 October in what is believed to have been the deadliest-ever assault on a music event.

Staged under the Universo Paralello brand, the Brazil-hailing festival was being held in Israel for the first time. Acts included Artifex, Aladin, Astral Projection, Flare, Jackalon, Jumpstreet, Kido, Libra, Man With no Name, Noface, Protonica, Rocky Tilbor, Shove, Spectra Sonics, Swarup and Wegha.

The psy-trance gathering was being attended by around 4,000 people in the desert near Kibbutz Re’im, not far from the Gaza Strip, when Hamas stormed the event on motorcycles, trucks and paragliders as part of a surprise offensive.

More than 1,400 people were killed in a series of coordinated attacks, leading Israel to formally declare war on the organisation the following day.

French tycoon secures majority stake in CAA

Artémis, an investment firm led by billionaire French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, acquired TPG’s majority stake in Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in September. Financial details were not disclosed but Bloomberg previously reported the deal would value CAA at US$7 billion.

Private equity company TPG upped its 35% stake in CAA to 53% for a reported $225 million in 2014.

Pinault is chairman and CEO of Paris-headquartered luxury goods company Kering, owner of brands such as Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent. He has been president of Groupe Artémis – the Pinault family’s investment company – since 2003.

CAA’s Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane and Richard Lovett remained as co-chairs in the wake of the agreement.

The 1975 cause uproar in Malaysia

The Malaysian concert business united in its condemnation of The 1975 after the band’s controversial Good Vibes Festival headline set resulted in the event’s cancellation by officials. The British band’s opening night performance was cut short just 30 minutes in after frontman Matty Healy launched into an expletive-laden tirade against Malaysia’s strict anti-LGBT rules and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald on stage.

Organiser Future Sound Asia described the festival’s cancellation as a “catastrophic financial blow” and demanded £2 million in compensation from The 1975. The promoter claims it was reassured by The 1975’s management team that Healy and the band “would adhere to local performance guidelines” prior to the group’s set.

Healy addressed the controversy in a 10-minute, pre-written speech at the band’s October concert in Dallas, Texas, alleging that “the Malaysian authorities… briefly imprisoned us” and criticised the backlash against theband.

In the wake of the fiasco, promoters in Malaysia were ordered to install a “kill switch” to end performances by international artists that breach government regulations, but authorities stopped short of issuing a blanket ban on overseas acts.

American agencies merge to form Independent Artist Group

US talent agencies APA and Artist Group International (AGI) merged in June to form Independent Artist Group (IAG). New York’s AGI was founded in 1986 by Dennis Arfa and is owned by the Yucaipa Companies, the private-equity group controlled by billionaire investor Ron Burkle, which also made a strategic investment in LA-headquartered APA (Agency for the Performing Arts) in 2021.

The merger announcement saw Arfa appointed chair of IAG’s music division, with AGI president Marsha Vlasic named vice-chair and APA president Jim Osborne becoming CEO. The new full-service agency promised to intensify competition in the international live music agency landscape, which had been largely consolidated by just four companies – CAA, Wasserman, UTA and WME.

The deal brought AGI’s roster, which included the likes of Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Smashing Pumpkins, Linkin Park, Metallica, Noel Gallagher, Motley Crue, The Strokes and Iggy Pop, and APA clients such as 50 Cent, 2 Chainz, Fetty Wap, Deep Purple, Mary J Blige and Lauryn Hill, under one roof.

“We wanted to be able to offer our artists a full suite of services beyond our touring expertise in TV, film, lit and branding in order to help facilitate their interests in other artistic outlets and further enhance the value of their brands and intellectual property,” Independent Artist Group (IAG) EVP, head of global music, Jarred Arfa told IQ.

Primary Talent returns to independence

Primary Talent International returned to being an independent music talent agency following a management buyout. Primary was sold to ICM Partners in 2020, which was subsequently acquired by CAA. The deal to re-establish Primary’s independent status was led by managing partner and CEO Matt Bates along with former ICM founding partner and COO Rick Levy.

The UK-based booking agency, whose roster includes almost 460 clients including The 1975, The Cure, Lana Del Rey, Noel Gallagher, Jack Harlow, alt-J, Dropkick Murphys and Patti Smith, has continued to operate from London while maintaining a presence in Los Angeles and New York.

“The pandemic changed the landscape of the music touring business, and we felt it was beneficial to return to our roots as the UK’s largest independent music talent agency,” said Bates.

Former Primary MD Peter Elliott recently announced his retirement and will depart at the end of the month after 28 years with the company.

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Official: Taylor Swift’s Eras is first $1bn tour

Taylor Swift’s planet-conquering Eras Tour has officially become the first tour in history to surpass $1 billion in revenue.

The American superstar has come out on top in an unprecedented year for the concert industry, with business up double-digit percentages in virtually every metric, according to Pollstar’s 2023 Year-End charts.

Total grosses for the Top 100 Worldwide Tours were up 46% to a $9.17bn (2022’s total was $6.28bn) and attendance was up 18.38% in total tickets sold to 70.1 million (2022’s total was 59.2m).

Swift took in an estimated ticket gross of $1.04bn, with 4.35m tickets sold from 60 shows, with the run calculated to have generated an additional $200m in merchandise sales, while Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert movie exceeded $250m in worldwide ticket sales, making it the highest-grossing concert movie of all time.

Pollstar projects that Eras Tour ticket sales will again hit $1bn in the next box office year, taking its overall total to more than $2bn.

“The live entertainment industry remains in the midst of a record-breaking Golden Era”

The rest of the Top 10 rankings on 2023’s Worldwide Tours are occupied by Beyoncé (No. 2), Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (No. 3), Coldplay (No. 4), Harry Styles (No. 5), Morgan Wallen (No. 6), Ed Sheeran (No. 7), P!nk (No. 8), The Weeknd (No. 9), and Drake (No. 10).

“This has been the Year of the Blockbuster, none earning that title more than Taylor Swift’s cultural takeover in Eras, Pollstar‘s first-ever billion-dollar tour,” says Ray Waddell, president of Oak View Group’s media & conferences division, which oversees Pollstar and sister publication VenuesNow. “The live entertainment industry remains in the midst of a record-breaking Golden Era, marked by innovation and creativity, artist development, and a paradigm shift in fan experience, as defined by the Sphere in Las Vegas and U2’s amazing run.”

The annual Pollstar ranking of the concert industry’s top performing artists covers shows held between 17 November 2022 and 15 November 2023.

Swift has led a touring boom in 2023, with more tours than ever grossing above $300m (three), $200m (seven) and $100m (17).

“This is precisely why FanFair Alliance is now pushing for the UK to adopt more consumer-friendly legislation that closes these kinds of loopholes”

Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that secondary ticketing platforms are circumventing Australian regulations banning for-profit resale of tickets for the tour. The New South Wales and Victorian governments moved to crack down on scalping earlier this year after prices in excess of $3,000 were listed for the singer’s 2024 dates in Sydney and Melbourne.

The restrictions made it illegal to resell tickets for more than 10% over face value, with those that fail to comply facing large fines. However, the Times reports that Viagogo appears to have contravened the legislation by geoblocking resale tickets for the Australian shows and enabling fans from outside Australia to buy them. Viagogo has not commented on the report.

A spokesperson for UK campaign group FanFair Alliance tells IQ: “This is precisely why [we are] now pushing for the UK to adopt more consumer-friendly legislation that closes these kinds of loopholes, provides audiences with better services and outlaws the resale of tickets for profit.”

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Rio police investigate T4F after Swift fan death

Police in Brazil are investigating promoter Time for Fun (T4F) following the death of a Taylor Swift fan who fell ill in sweltering conditions at one of the singer’s Rio shows.

Ana Clara Benevides, 23, lost consciousness during Swift’s performance at Estádio Nilton Santos last Friday (17 November), which took place in the midst of Brazil’s record-breaking heatwave. She was rushed to hospital, where she died after suffering a reported cardiac arrest.

A spokesperson for the Civil Police Department of Rio de Janeiro says it is probing a possible “crime of endangering the life and health” of concert-goers, although the inquiry is not connected to Benevides’ death.

“Event organisers will be called to testify, and other steps are underway to investigate the facts,” reads the police’s statement, as per the Daily Mail.

Fans were reportedly prohibited from bringing their own water bottles into the venue, despite temperatures in Rio reaching 39.1°C on the day of the show, leading to criticism of the promoter, which said the ban was “a requirement made by public bodies”.

“We apologise to the people who didn’t have the best experience possible”

T4F implemented a special action plan for Swift’s remaining two Rio stadium gigs on 19-20 November, which passed off without major incident, offering free water at access points in and around the stadium and enhancing its medical provisions.

In a video posted on social media, the company’s CEO Serafim Abreu offered an apology to attendees “who didn’t have the best experience possible”.

“We know the enormous responsibility we have when organising an event of this size, which is why we spare no effort and resources to always follow the best global practices in the sector, to guarantee comfort and safety for everyone,” said Abreu, as per Brazilian publication Estadao.

“Still, we faced days of extreme heat in Rio de Janeiro, with extremely high and unprecedented thermal sensations. Yes, we recognise that we could have taken some alternative actions, in addition to all the others we have done, such as creating shaded areas in external areas, changing the times of previously scheduled shows and placing more emphasis on allowing entry with disposable water cups.

“We also understand that the entire sector needs to rethink its actions in light of this reality. We apologise to the people who didn’t have the best experience possible.”

“We understand the deep pain of this irreparable loss, we respect the family’s privacy and once again reinforce our willingness to collaborate”

Referencing Benevides’ death, he continued: “Unfortunately, for the first time in more than 40 years of operation, we have had a fatality at an event organised by Time For Fun. We are very saddened by the loss of young Ana Clara, despite the prompt care and all the efforts made by the medical teams at the event and at the hospital.

“To Ana Clara’s family, I want to express our most sincere feelings. I now publicly state our willingness to provide assistance in any way necessary, as we have already said directly to family members and to the lawyer who represents them, by telephone and in writing, since the incident.

“We understand the deep pain of this irreparable loss, we respect the family’s privacy and once again reinforce our willingness to collaborate.”

Swift will wrap up Eras‘ Brazilian leg this weekend with three T4F-presented concerts in São Paulo’s Allianz Parque from 24-26 November.

“For the shows at Allianz Parque, we follow the new position of the authorities,” added Abreu. “Flexible water bottles are allowed to enter, in addition to the disposable water cups that have always been released.”

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T4F implements action plan after Swift fan’s death

South American promoter Time for Fun (T4F) has implemented a spate of changes for Taylor Swift’s final Eras concerts in Rio de Janeiro following the death of a 23-year-old fan who fell ill while attending the singer’s show.

According to local media, Ana Clara Benevides Machado fainted during Swift’s performance at Estádio Nilton Santos on Friday in the midst of Brazil’s record-breaking heatwave. She was rushed to hospital, where she died after suffering a reported cardiac arrest.

“It’s with great sadness that we inform you about the death of Ana Clara Benevides Machado aged 23,” said T4F on social media. “Ana Clara felt unwell and was assisted by a team of emergency workers and paramedics, being taken to a medical centre at Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium so the first aid protocol could be applied.

“Given the situation, the medical team opted to transfer her to Salgado Filho Hospital. After nearly an hour of emergency assistance, she regrettably died. We send our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ana Clara Benevides.”

Temperatures reached 39.1 C in Rio on Friday, while Fortune reports that apparent temperature – a combination of temperature and humidity — hit 59 C that morning, the highest index ever recorded in the city.

T4F has been criticised by concert-goers and politicians in the wake of the tragedy as fans were banned from bringing their own water bottles into the venue. However, the promoter insisted yesterday that it had no say in the matter due to “a requirement made by public bodies”, and confirmed it was enforcing a special action plan for Swift’s remaining gigs on 19-20 November.

“The prohibition of bottles of water entering stadiums is a requirement made by public bodies”

“Given the forecast of an increase in the heat wave in the city of Rio de Janeiro, we inform you that we are reinforcing the special action plan carried out for the first day of the show, especially the provision of free water in the queues and at all accesses and entrances to the stadium and inside,” the firm told ticket-holders.

“New free water distribution points will be available to the public during the event. Entry to the stadium with sealed glasses of water and sealed processed food will also be permitted, with no limitation on items per person. We also emphasise that the prohibition of bottles of water entering stadiums is a requirement made by public bodies and that we do not sell drinks and food, this being a responsibility of the stadium administration.”

T4F said “about 200” extra employees would be added to the 1,230 staff already working on the dates for the last two shows, in addition to an enhanced emergency service presence.

“The medical care structure was reinforced, totalling eight available medical stations, eight ambulances and eight mobile ICUs,” it concluded.

Swift postponed her scheduled Saturday concert (20 November) to tonight as a result of the “extreme temperatures” and returned to the stage last night for her second of three nights at the 70,000-cap stadium. She will wrap up Eras‘ Brazilian leg this weekend with three concerts in São Paulo’s Allianz Parque from 24-26 November.

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Taylor Swift presale offer sparks credit card boom

The frenzy for Taylor Swift tickets saw credit card applications for Singapore’s United Overseas Bank (UOB) soar, as fans clamoured to gain access to an exclusive presale for cardholders.

Bloomberg reports that daily average credit card applications across Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam jumped 45% last month in the week Swift announced her 2024 tour dates.

Applications for debit cards in Singapore and Vietnam skyrocketed 130% according to UOB, the official bank and presale partner for the singer’s record-equalling six nights at Singapore’s National Stadium.

Swift’s Eras Tour will visit the 55,000-cap stadium from 2-4 and 7-9 March next year – matching the national record set by Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour – with tickets selling out in little over eight hours in July’s general sale. UOB cardmembers in the five markets were given early access to tickets 48 hours before the public onsale.

More than half of the new credit card holders are female, while a third of new customers are aged between 30 and 40.

UOB, which is Singapore’s third largest bank, says more than half of the new credit card holders are female, while a third of new customers are aged between 30 and 40.

Ticket prices for Swift’s National Stadium tour dates – her sole stop in Southeast Asia – ranged from S$108 to $348 (€74 to €237). The 33-year-old’s only other concerts announced for Asia in 2024 are set for Japan’s Tokyo Dome from 7-10 February.

The Eras Tour is on target to become both the biggest concert tour in history and the first to gross more than US$1 billion. The current benchmark was set by Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which ended with a total gross of US$939.1 million (€837m), according to Billboard Boxscore.

Eras was comfortably the highest-grossing tour of H1 2023, based on Pollstar data. It generated $300.8m in revenue from its first 22 nights on total ticket sales of 1,186,314 and an average ticket price of $253.56.

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Taylor Swift’s Eras on track to be first $1bn tour

Taylor Swift’s ever-expanding Eras Tour is on target to become the first concert tour in history to gross more than US$1 billion, according to a new report.

The current benchmark was set by Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which grossed $887 million from 5.7 million ticket sales from its first 309 shows, and is expected to settle on around $925m upon its conclusion.

The Eras Tour was comfortably the highest-grossing tour of H1 2023, based on Pollstar data. It generated $300.8m in revenue from its first 22 nights on total ticket sales of 1,186,314 and an average ticket price of $253.56. The run currently amounts to 117 shows up to August 2024, with the potential for further dates to be added.

While a number-crunching report by the Wall Street Journal notes that top tickets in the US tend to cost 20% to 30% more than in the rest of the world, the trek still has every chance of breaking through the $1bn barrier.

“What we’re seeing on this particular Taylor tour is almost like a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon,” International Artist Group EVP and head of global music Jarred Arfa tells the WSJ. “It’s pretty astonishing.”

“For production reasons, she will only come to Amsterdam”

Swift’s recently announced 2024 European leg goes on sale in mid-July, but will not stop off in Belgium. Greenhouse Talent, which is staging Swift’s Amsterdam stadium shows in the Netherlands, addresses the omission, telling Het Laastse Nieuws a Brussels date at King Baudouin Stadium was “not an option” because of noise concerns.

“For production reasons, she will only come to Amsterdam,” says the promoter. “The stage had to be on the short side and that is not possible in Brussels due to noise nuisance for the neighbourhood.”

The Manila Bulletin reports that eight million people have applied for tickets for the 33-year-old’s concerts in Asia, while tickets for the singer’s four Japan shows at the 55,000-cap Tokyo Dome will be allocated by a lottery system. Fans must submit an application for the lottery by 10 July and then wait for the results.

More than four million users attempted to buy pre-sale tickets for her Sydney and Melbourne concerts in Australia earlier this week. The New South Wales and Victorian governments moved to crack down on touting after resale prices in excess of $3,000 were listed, with the latter designating the concerts as “major events,” triggering anti-scalping provisions in state legislation.

Elsewhere, in Brazil, a congresswoman has tabled the “Taylor Swift Act”, which would increase the maximum sentence for ticket touting from two to four years in prison, and fines of up to 100x the original price of the tickets.

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Record demand for Taylor Swift’s Australia dates

Taylor Swift has smashed yet another record after more than 4 million users attempted to buy pre-sale tickets for her Sydney and Melbourne concerts.

The second round of tickets for the popstar’s three Sydney shows at Accor Arena went live today (28 June) at 10 am local time. By 1.43 pm, all general Frontier presale tickets had sold out.

More than 800,000 fans had been waiting in the Ticketek online lounge ahead of the Eras presale.

The presale for Swift’s two Melbourne shows began at 2 pm, with general tickets selling out by 4.17 pm.

Capacity for her three Sydney shows is around 250,000, while her two Melbourne shows will fit 200,000 fans.

Ticketek said the release of the second batch went smoothly, and that it “managed to repel more than half a billion bot attempts,” which largely came from ticket scalpers.

Swift fans were in a frenzy earlier this week when the American Express ticket site crashed due to high demand during the Sydney VIP presale. Though the site resolved the issue before the sale ended, tickets soon sold out.

The Victorian government designated the concerts as “major events,” triggering anti-scalping provisions in state legislation

The first presale on Monday was available to American Express cardholders looking to buy VIP packages in advance. These tickets cost between AU$349.90 (NZ$380) and AU$1249.90.

The second presale was available for Frontier Touring members, with ticket prices ranging from AU$79.90 to AU$379.90, though Ticketek notes that all ticket prices are “subject to change at any time without notice”.

Australian and Kiwi fans will have another chance to buy tickets for Swift’s Sydney shows via Ticketek from 10 am Friday, while Melbourne fans will have access from 2 pm. Ticketek could not confirm how many tickets would be available during Friday’s general sale.

The New South Wales and Victorian governments moved to crack down on scalping on Tuesday (27 June) after resale prices in excess of $3,000 were listed.

The Victorian government designated the concerts as “major events,” triggering anti-scalping provisions in state legislation.

The NSW government’s consumer affairs office has confirmed it is investigating ticket listings on the reselling platform Viagogo. The state’s laws restrict ticket resales to a maximum of 110% of the value of the original ticket price.

Swift will perform at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 16 and 17 February and at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on 23, 24 and 25 February. The tour will be her first appearance down under since 2018. At press time, she has not announced any dates in New Zealand.

Elsewhere, Swift today added a fifth stop at London’s Wembley Stadium to her Eras tour.

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