The Eras Tour
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Most corporations would love to rake in revenues well over $1 billion in a single year. In 2023, Taylor Swift has done it — and plenty more — by herself.
Billboard estimates that the 2023 Time Person of the Year honoree has grossed approximately $1.82 billion in music sales and royalties, concert tickets, merchandise sales at concerts and movie ticket sales in 2023 through Dec. 7.
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That figure represents the total amount generated in these handful of segments of Swift’s business career, not the amount she personally pocketed. Because none of this financial information is publicly available, Billboard calculated music royalties based on data from Luminate, concert ticket sales using publicly available information and her concert merchandise revenue was estimated based on Billboard’s reporting.
While impressive, $1.82 billion isn’t even the entirety of the income Swift has derived from her music career. Billboard left many items out of the calculations due to the inaccessibility of data, including synchronization royalties for her music’s use in advertisements, films and television shows, sponsorships, and merchandise sales from her website and licensing deals.
To put Swift’s year in perspective, she took in more than the $1.4 billion global gross of the motion picture Barbie. She exceeded the $1.6 billion fetched last year by the auction of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s art collection of works by the likes of Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat and Gustav Klimt. And it’s almost four times the 2022 annual revenue of Deezer, a publicly traded music streaming company with 9.4 million subscribers. In fact, she grossed more than every record label besides the three majors.
Spending on tickets and concert merchandise accounted for the lion’s share of Swift’s business this year. Swift’s The Eras Tour generated approximately $900 million in ticket sales in 2023. That figure is based on Billboard’s estimate that Swift sold 3.3 million tickets to 53 concerts in the U.S. at about $250 per ticket. An additional 13 shows in Latin America likely earned another $60 million to $75 million from 750,000 ticket. At those concerts, Swift sold an estimated concert merchandise sales of $132 million of merchandise. Her per-show average merchandise sales at roughly $2 million, based on Billboard’s reporting.
Swift’s music grossed an estimated $536 million from streaming royalties, purchases — tracks, digital albums, CDs, LPs and cassettes — and broadcast radio play through Dec. 7. Swift is this year’s leading U.S. artist in terms of on-demand audio streams, album sales and track sales.
Sales and streams accounted for roughly 86%, or $461 million, of her recorded music revenue. Most of that money was collected by her label, Republic Records, and the owner of her Big Machine Music Group catalog, Shamrock Capital. These amounts include the gross amount from music purchases (CDs, LPs and downloads) and includes mechanical royalties paid by record labels to songwriters and music publishers.
Swift’s songwriting catalog generated an estimated $75 million from streaming and radio play. (Publishing royalties from streaming are not counted in the recorded music gross revenue. Unlike the mechanical royalties from purchases, mechanical royalties from streams are not passed through record labels.) The radio royalties are paid to Swift’s performance rights organization, BMI, and will be distributed to Swift, her co-writers and the various music publishers and administrators that have rights to the compositions.
Additionally, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie has an international gross of $250 million, according to Box Office Mojo. In the U.S., the movie grossed $179 million and debuted at No. 1 with first-week ticket sales of $95 million to $97 million. Depending on the production costs, the movie could be a financial boon for Swift considering she circumvented the traditional Hollywood distribution system and made a deal directly with AMC, the country’s largest movie theater chain. Additionally, the film is now available to rent on streaming and Swift retains the rights to license to a streaming service — both of which will earn her even more money.
Swift’s true economic impact is far larger than her gross sales outlined here. Many experts have been thinking of Swift’s business as the center of a larger economic impact that expands like concentric circles around her fans’ insatiable demand and willingness to travel to experience her concerts. The U.S. Travel Association stated in September that it believed The Eras Tour’s total economic impact will exceed $10 billion. Swift’s tour reached 20 U.S. cities and her fans averaged $1,300 of spending on travel, hotel stays and food. The association figures Swift’s fans spent about $5 billion in those destinations. Including indirect spending by others “who came to join the action around the events but did not actually attend the shows,” the association estimates the total economic impact is twice the $5 billion of direct spending. Another estimated found that her six sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, alone brought an estimated $320 million to the Los Angeles area’s gross domestic product, according to the California Center for Jobs & The Economy and California Business Roundtable.
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Taylor Swift has postponed the second night of her Eras Tour concert in Brazil on Saturday (Nov. 18) due to “extreme temperatures” in Rio de Janeiro.
The last-minute delay arrives one day after the death of a fan attending the pop superstar’s opening night at Rio’s Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos on Friday (Nov. 17).
“I’m writing this from my dressing room in the stadium,” Swift shared in a handwritten note on her Instagram Story Saturday. “The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to the extreme temperatures in Rio. The safety and well-being of my fans, fellow performers, and crew has to and always will come first.”
Brazilian concert promoter T4T noted in a statement on Instagram that Saturday’s concert will be scheduled for Monday (Nov. 20). Further information about rescheduled event will be shared through taylorswifttheerastour.com.br.
On Friday night, Swift expressed her sorrow on social media over the loss of 23-year-old fan Ana Clara Benevides Machado, who died after attending the opening night of the singer’s Eras Tour in Rio. The woman was treated by paramedics after she reported not feeling well and was later taken to a hospital, where she died, according to an Instagram post by T4T. The exact cause of Machado’s death had not been revealed at press time.
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” Swift wrote on her Instagram Story. “I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this. There’s very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”
She continued, “I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it. I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
Many concert-goers complained that they were not allowed to bring in water bottles to the stadium despite a record-breaking heat wave in Rio, the Associated Press reports. Temperatures reached 102.4 degrees Fahrenheit in the city on Friday.
During Friday’s show, her first of three at Rio’s Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, Swift paused her performance to request water for a group of fans who indicated they needed it.
“There’s people that need water right here, maybe 30, 35, 40 feet back,” the singer said, as seen in fan-captured footage on X. “So whoever is in charge of giving them that, just make sure that happens. Can I get a signal that you know where they are?”
This marks the second time Swift has been forced to postpone dates on the South American leg of her Eras Tour. Just hours ahead of her second show at the Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday (Nov. 10), the “Cruel Summer” singer announced that the concert was being delayed due to “truly chaotic” rainy weather conditions in the region.
Taylor Swift is “devastated” following the death of a fan at her Eras Tour concert in Brazil on Friday (Nov. 17).
The pop superstar shared a handwritten note on social media after the show at Rio de Janeiro’s Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos to express her sorrow over the loss.
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” Swift wrote on her Instagram Story. “I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this. There’s very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”
She continued, “I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it. I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil.”
A cause of death for the fan, identified as 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides Machado, has not been revealed.
The concert’s organizer, T4F, wrote on Instagram that paramedics attended to the woman after she reported feeling unwell. She was first taken to a first aid area and then to a hospital, where she passed away shortly after, according to the Brazilian promoter.
Some concert-goers complained that they were not allowed to bring in water bottles to the stadium despite a record-breaking heat wave in Rio, the Associated Press reports. Temperatures reached 102.4 degrees Fahrenheit in the city on Friday.
During the show, her first of three at the venue, Swift paused her performance to request water for a group of fans who indicated they needed it.
“There’s people that need water right here, maybe 30, 35, 40 feet back,” the singer said, as seen in fan-captured footage on X. “So whoever is in charge of giving them that, just make sure that happens. Can I get a signal that you know where they are?”
On Saturday morning (Nov. 18), T4F shared a statement on Instagram noting that free water will be distributed at designated areas of Swift’s concert and that a limited number of sealed water containers will be allowed into the stadium.
Swift is scheduled to continue her Eras Tour at Rio’s Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos on Saturday and Sunday.
See T4F’s statements on Instagram below.
The power of Swift compels you. After countless fans mobilized online to have Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer welcome Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour with a temporary makeover, the famous statue now sports a T-shirt inspired by the pop star’s iconic “You Belong With Me” music video outfit — and it’s all thanks to the holy spirit of Swifties.
His arms spread wide in welcome, the giant stone replica of Jesus Christ is currently adorned with the light projection of a white shirt made to look like the homemade “Junior Jewels” tee Swift wears in her 2009 video, which has been viewed more than 1.5 billion times on YouTube. In place of the names of Swift’s friends, the statue’s shirt is covered with the names of different cities and states in Brazil in different colors.
The shirt is also dotted with Swift-themed doodles, including a hand heart, an archer bow and “All Too Well” scarf. “Welcome to Brasil” is emblazoned across the chest, a customized nod to the pop star’s “Welcome to New York.”
Sharing an aerial video of the 98-foot statue’s new look, Christ the Redeemer’s Instagram page captioned the visual, “We did it, Swifties!”
“You were able to show all the love to Taylor!” continued the statement in Portuguese, as translated to English by Google. “Many thanks to all who donated! Make it a wonderful day!”
The “Anti-Hero” singer is set to play six Eras shows in Brazil, the first three of which will take place in Rio at Estádio Nilton Santos starting Friday (Nov. 17). The next weekend, she’ll set up shop in São Paulo for three nights at Allianz Parque.
Chris the Redeemer’s wardrobe change wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of hard work from Swift’s disciples. According to an Instagram video on the landmark’s Instagram, the Sanctuary’s rector Father Omar had challenged Swifties to donate money for the collection of 20,000 units of panetone and mineral water for people in “vulnerable situations and social exclusion.”
“If the goal is met, the Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary will do the mapped projection at the Christ the Redeemer monument in response to the request of fans with a welcome message to Taylor,” continued the Thursday (Nov. 16) call to action, which clearly paid off. “The Sanctuary will bear all the costs of the projection and will continue with the mission of welcoming everyone with open arms.”
Swift is the leading finalist at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, with nods in 20 categories. The BBMAs are Nov. 19 and can be viewed on BBMAs.watch, or via the Billboard and BBMAs social media channels.
See Christ the Redeemer in the welcoming T-shirt below:
An image projected onto Christ the Redeemer welcomes Taylor Swift to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov. 16, 2023. Swift will offer three shows of ‘The Eras Tour” in Rio de Janeiro.
FLORIAN PLAUCHER/AFP via Getty Images
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce enjoyed a night out in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while the pop superstar continues the South American leg of her Eras Tour. On Friday (Nov. 10), Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end were spotted on a dinner date at Argentinian steakhouse Elena, a restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel, […]
It’s a cruel fall for Taylor Swift fans in Argentina … at least for the day. The pop superstar announced on Friday (Nov. 10), just hours ahead of her second show at the Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that the concert would be postponed.
“I love a rain show but I’m never going to endanger my fans or my fellow performers and crew,” Swift began her written message in an Instagram Stories post. “We’ve rescheduled tonight’s Buenos Aires show for Sunday due to the weather being so truly chaotic it would be unsafe to try and put on this concert. Good news is I get to stay in Argentina later!”
Though she had to delay her show, it wasn’t a bad day for the 12-time Grammy winner. Earlier on Friday, The Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 2024 awards, with Swift receiving six nods. Among the awards she’ll be competing for are record and song of the year (“Anti-Hero”), as well as album of the year (Midnights). She has not yet shared a reaction about her latest nominations. Besides the Grammys, Swift is also the lead finalist with 20 nods for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, which will stream Nov. 19 on BBMAs.watch and via Billboard and the BBMAs’ social channels.
Swift kicked off the international leg of her Eras Tour a day earlier, on Thursday (Nov. 9). During the show — also held at the Estadio River Plate — she delivered her nightly two surprise songs. For her first show in Buenos Aires, the “Maroon” singer offered up “The Very First Night,” followed by “Labyrinth.”
It was the second song that had fans giddy. Video captured by concertgoers show the pop star smiling as she sang the chorus, which goes, “Uh oh, I’m falling in love/ Oh no, I’m falling in love again.” Swifties flooded X (formerly known as Twitter) with their reactions, convinced that the star was singing about new love interest Travis Kelce.
“MY GIRL IS SMITTEN,” tweeted one fan. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TRAVIS KELCE.”
“travis kelce tysm for your service,” added another Swiftie, who was one of many who credited the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end for Swift’s performance of the Midnights deep cut.
Though fans may think Swift was singing about the NFL star, Kelce wasn’t in Buenos Aires to catch the performance. Instead, the football player was back in Kansas City, attending Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ charity gala. But according to NBC News, Kelce is planning to see Swift perform in South America.
Taylor Swift will be spending a little extra time up north next year. Three months after announcing that her ongoing global Eras Tour will open for several shows in Toronto in 2024, the 33-year-old pop star has now added a trio of additional dates to her Canadian leg. All of the new shows will be […]