Illustration by Jackie Parsons
INDIANAPOLIS WASN’T originally on the Eras Tour list. When Taylor Swift first announced her Eras Tour on November 1, 2022, her “journey through the musical eras of [her] career” skipped the Circle City. It wasn’t until August of 2023 that she added a final leg of concert stops, including Indy’s November 1–3 concerts at Lucas Oil.
Taylor Swift hasn’t played Indy for over six years. The singer broke a Lucas Oil Stadium record on September 17, 2018, when she performed for 55,729 fans during her Reputation Stadium Tour. She’s expected to meet—or break—that number in November.
Her show takes as much time as a fair-weather Indy 500. The Eras Tour is a showcase of Swift’s 18-year career, spanning 11 studio albums—one of which, The Tortured Poets Department, was released after the Eras Tour’s March 17, 2023, kickoff in Glendale, Arizona. The tour, which is Swift’s sixth, is known for its three-plus hour shows, high production values, and multiple wardrobe changes for its star.
A visit from Swift has been characterized as “a Super Bowl in every city.” This was said long before Swift made headlines for her appearance at the actual big game in 2024, during which she embraced boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on the field after his team beat the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl LVIII. But the logistical and economic effect of every Eras Tour stop “is on par with [hosting] the Super Bowl,” U.S. Travel Association spokesperson Spencer Dobkin says.
Swift’s fans are big spenders. Dobkin says that on average, people who buy a ticket for a big-name concert tour triple what they spend on a ticket in expenditures on dining, lodging, and other fun. “A commonly used multiplier is that $100 spent on live performances generates about $300 in other expenses, including spending on hotels, food, and transportation,” he says. But with Swift, that number is way bigger: On the first leg of her U.S. tour, the average concertgoer spent $1,300 on travel, dining, lodging, and other related purchases, pumping tens of millions into local economies.
Her visit has also prompted a mini gig-work boom. Daniel Altman, a spokesperson for short-term staffing app Instawork, says tour date listings for flexible labor near Lucas Oil have spiked by nearly 1,000 percent. Jobs available include parking control, temporary work at downtown bars and restaurants, cleanup of the area before and after the events, and added support at hotels across Marion County.
Forget about getting a hotel room that weekend. Illinois broke its hotel revenue record thanks in part to Swift’s visit, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said after her stop there last summer, and other cities have announced similar boosts. According to Chris Gahl, executive vice president of Visit Indy, 87 percent of ticket holders for Swift’s local shows are from outside the Indy metro area. That means local hotels have been fully booked since July at rates three times the usual cost for those dates.
… Or an Airbnb. Airbnb communications director Haven Thorn says that hosts on the platform “earned over $77 million” housing concertgoers on the first U.S. leg of Swift’s tour, news that prompted a new wave of listings on the popular short-term rental app. Searches for Indy Airbnbs increased by 7,000 percent when the local dates were announced, Thorn says, so local short-term rentals are also expected to reach full capacity at rates that exceed those charged during events such as the 500 or GenCon.
It will also be a bad weekend to try to grab an Uber. Ridehailing companies are strongly encouraging drivers to clock in on Swift’s tour dates—and are actively seeking new drivers to sign up and work on that exceptionally busy weekend. If you’re not headed to or from the show those days but still need to hail a ride, be prepared to drop some cash. “Surge pricing is a given,” a driver informed us during a recent airport trip. “Expect Indy 500 prices, or worse.”
Marion County’s first responders will all be on the clock that weekend, too. Citing issues around security, neither the FBI nor the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were willing to speak on the record about specific steps they’re taking during Swift’s Indy dates. But as one of the country’s top locations for conventions and high-impact events, Indy’s first responders have abundant experience protecting famous folks and their fans. For other events of this nature, IMPD has set up real-time crime centers staffed with people who monitor the hundreds of security cameras placed throughout the city. In addition, deputy fire marshals are typically deployed to keep an eye on capacity at bars and restaurants in the area, as they might become dangerously packed before and after the show. Finally, Marion County Emergency Management launched a new mass texting system this fall to alert participants of any major issues. Text MESAINDY to 67283 to register.
Don’t expect Swift to shake off any credible threats to fan safety. The singer canceled three shows in Vienna this year after law enforcement officials arrested multiple people planning a terrorist attack during her stop there and later said that skipping that stop was the best way to keep her fans safe. Those who know Swift say she won’t hesitate to shut down a show—even at the last minute—if there’s another credible threat. “Taylor’s top priority is the safety of her fans,” says a source close to the singer’s team. “She hates to disappoint anyone, but these are strange times, and sometimes she has to make hard calls.”
