TORONTO: Taylor Swift’s record-shattering “Eras Tour” is set to conclude on Sunday in the Canadian city of Vancouver with the final performance.
The event which kicked off in the US state of Arizona on March 17, 2023 has easily become the highest-grossing musical tour in history.
When the tour ends, the American singer will have performed 149 shows with stops from Buenos Aires to Paris and Tokyo.
Swift’s camp has not publicly released ticket revenue numbers for the tour, but the widely cited trade magazine Pollstar has estimated the figure at well over $2 billion.
That smashes the record previously held by Elton John’s pandemic-interrupted Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which sold an estimated $939 million in tickets over 328 shows spread across five years.
Beyond the concerts, Swift’s presence in venue cities has supercharged local economies. Her second-last tour stop was Toronto, where she performed six shows over two weekends.
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She generated an additional Can$282 million ($199 million) in economic activity in Canada’s largest city, tourism promotion organization Destination Toronto estimated. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also attended one of the Toronto shows with his family.
Last year, before the announcement that Eras would include Canadian stops, Trudeau issued a public appeal urging Swift to come.
“I know places in Canada would love to have you. So, don’t make it another Cruel Summer. We hope to see you soon,” Trudeau posted on X in July 2023, referring to a hit song from Swift’s 2019 album, “Lover.”
Eras also earned sterling critical acclaim, with reviewers praising Swift’s stamina and energy through shows that have averaged just under four hours.
The New York Times called opening night in Glendale, Arizona a “master class.” The Vancouver Sun called Friday’s show, her third last, “spectacular.” – AFP/APP
