A normally quiet and forgotten Midwestern city is now filled with the echoes of pop music and laughter. People in head-to-toe glittery outfits fill the streets, handing out bracelets and chatting with those around them. A cloud of excitement and joy hangs over the city of Indianapolis, as one of the world’s biggest stars is here, performing her most beloved songs for three sold-out shows at Lucas Oil Stadium. Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour has made its final stop in the United States in Indianapolis, making a memorable weekend that both fans and owners of local businesses will never forget.
The Eras Tour is now the highest grossing musical event of all time, with Swift earning over $1 billion. Eras Tour tickets were difficult to acquire, with millions of fans trying relentlessly to get a seat at the show. So what made Swift decide to end this tour in Indianapolis? In her words, she wanted to wrap up the final shows in front of the loudest and best crowds in the country. Swifties, the name given to Taylor Swift’s diehard fans, were met with Taylor Swift decals across the Indianapolis Airport, local restaurants adding Eras Tour inspired items to their menus, and Taylor Swift-themed street signs all across the city. However, these events and items didn’t just randomly pop up throughout the city. Months of planning that led to the transformation of Indianapolis into Swift City. One person who saw the countless hours of effort behind the scenes was Clare Clark, an employee of Visit Indy, the company who oversees tourism for Indianapolis.
“We rallied a group of community driven volunteers and leaders 18 months leading up to the concert in order to envision how we’re gonna roll out the red carpet for Taylor Swift,” Clark said. “In the months leading up to the concert, we became really tactical with deploying events throughout the city at other museums and attractions to kind of give Swifties an opportunity to experience the city outside of just the stadium.”
The concert itself wasn’t the only experience open to Swifties. Many fans came to Indianapolis with no tickets for the show, instead hoping to experience a bit of Eras Tour magic in events hosted by local businesses. Penn and Beech Candle Company in Carmel had numerous activities for Swifties to indulge in and items for them to buy, like their Swift themed candles, regardless of if they had a ticket to the show. For Penn and Beech Marketing director Sarah Chait, the pleasure was all theirs to host Taylor Swift fans for her last shows in the United States.
“We always like to be involved in the big activities coming to Indianapolis, and of
course we were so excited that Taylor chose Indy as her last domestic tour stop. We had to participate,” Chait said.
Local Indy businesses were not the only ones to notice the amount of effort the city of Indianapolis put into the arrival of the Eras Tour. Many Indiana natives, like NHS junior Alyse Cannady, thought it was incredible to see the city of Indianapolis fully embrace this once in a lifetime event.
“Every business decorated and participated in the Eras Tour somehow. Even the lights all around the city were pink and purple for the concert, which was really cool to see when walking back after the concert,” Cannady said.
The Eras Tour not only brought joy to fans, but it also helped boost the economy of Indianapolis as well as the entire state of Indiana. With fans staying in hotels, eating at local restaurants, and shopping at small businesses, Clark said the concert brought an economic boom to Indianapolis unlike any other.
“In terms of tourism impact, all hotels were sold out, and they commanded a rate of three times the amount of what they would normally charge that weekend,” Clark said. “Airbnb and short term rentals were up over 2000% for that weekend in the city, and we know that there will be a healthy nine-figures of economic impact.”
Businesses like Penn and Beech felt the impact of the mass amount of fans flocking to Indianapolis for the chance to see Taylor Swift. And Swifties didn’t fail to show their support for themed products and activities.
“We were extremely busy, and sold out of all of our candles,” Chait said.
However, for Swifties the impact of the Eras Tour goes beyond money. Fans said the concert is extremely special for them to come together and exchange friendship bracelets and smiles, and make memories with one another. For many, the Eras Tour was an unforgettable experience that they have been waiting for their entire lives, and that is something Cannady noticed during her time at the concert and in Indianapolis.
“The Eras Tour united a lot of people. It brought together people that all love the same thing in one space,” Cannady said. “It was so heartwarming to see everyone come together.”
