‘She knows our people’: Taylor Swift’s 3-day Eras Tour stop to bring in millions of fans to Tampa
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa continued its transformation into "Taylor Town" this Tuesday, as the city readies for an invasion of Taylor Swift fans. The pop icon is preparing to perform three sold-out concerts at Raymond James Stadium.
Swift's first show isn't until Thursday, but she already has a key to the city and title of "honorary mayor" waiting for her, along with her throngs of adoring fans, or "Swifties."
"I know the tickets are super hard to get, so I know the people that got tickets are super excited," said Daniella Beshar, a Taylor Swift fan who wasn't able to score a seat.
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Beshar's friend, Carter Hoskins, however, said he lucked into getting a ticket.
"I was so shocked," Hoskins said. "I tried...Ticketmaster. I actually had the Capital One pre-sale [card], so I was eligible for the pre-sale. Pre-Sale was sold out. I couldn't get a ticket for the Florida show or the Kentucky show, but then my friend hooked me up and here I am going to Tampa, and I was so excited."
"She's a really big influence for teenagers and younger girls today," added Grace Gallowitz. "I went to her Reputation tour, and it was awesome. Wasn't a big fan up until then, and she was an amazing performer. She really, really knew what she was doing, and she makes a lot of girls emotional."
The revenue Taylor's current Eras tour is expected to bring to the Tampa Bay area, meanwhile, can't be overstated.
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"We're talking millions," said Santiago Corrada, the CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. "We're talking millions in economic impact."
Swift's previous two tour stops in Tampa reportedly brought in about $730,000 in taxes alone. Corrada said that doesn't include revenue from shopping, dining and overnight stays.
According to Visit Tampa Bay, hotel occupancy is expected to be up between 60-80% during Swift's three-night concert series. Corrada said Swift's visit is a sign of Tampa's place on the national stage.
"Taylor has been here before. She knows this market. She knows our stadium. She knows our people," Corrada said. "A lot has been built over the years on relationships that's why we keep getting repeat [NCAA] Men's [hockey] Frozen Fours, we get repeat Super Bowls, we get repeat Taylor Swift, we get repeat Beyoncé. It's the relationships that we develop over time. But quite honestly, it's this meteoric rise of Tampa."
Leaders in Hillsborough County, which was changed to "Swiftsborough" for the week, believe those are reasons Swift chose Tampa as her only Florida destination and not Miami.
"When a concert like this does not go to Miami, this creates a tremendous buzz within the entire southeastern United States," said Hillsborough Commissioner Harry Cohen, adding he expects an increase in passengers flying into Tampa during Swift's tour stop. "The impact in terms of hotel room nights, in terms of spending, in terms of restaurants, in terms of flights cannot be underestimated."
Swift's sold-out shows will take place Thursday-Saturday. Merchandise for Swift’s Eras tour goes on sale Wednesday in Lot 2 near Raymond James Stadium.