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Taylor Swift has some loyal fans.
Tickets to Swift’s Eras Tour in the United States were nearly impossible to get in 2023 after first going on sale in November 2022.
Before she even hit the road, Ticketmaster, which launched the presale of tickets, could not accommodate the unprecedented demand.
Millions of loyal fans waited in hours-long queues over two days only to be shut out.
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Tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the United States were nearly impossible to get. When the tour went on sale, it broke records on Ticketmaster. (Kevin Winter/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management / Getty Images)
Ticketmaster apologized and admitted bot attacks also contributed to the fiasco. It revealed “a new sales record was set” by The Eras Tour. Still, fans were left without tickets.
Now, the star is on the international leg of her tour, and fans are following her, driving a new travel trend called “gig tripping.”
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Gig tripping combines travel with music with people willing to merge vacation plans with a music event.
According to Skyscanner, 44% of Americans “are willing to fly short-haul to see their favorites artists,” while 18% “would go the extra mile with long-haul flights.”
“While 34% of U.S. travelers plan to attend local music events in 2024 (rising to 50% among 25-to-34-year-olds), a substantial 60% are open to gig tripping abroad to save money.”
Taylor Swift performs in São Paulo, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
With kids and adults alike looking for Swift tickets, travel company Travelmation is seeing an increase in “gig tripping” requests.
“I just booked a family on a European trip built entirely around Taylor Swift. My client wanted to see the Eras Tour with her daughters, but they couldn’t get tickets in the U.S. They instead turned to her international shows and were able to snag seats in Milan,” Tim Elrod, vice president and travel adviser for Travelmation, told Fox News Digital.
“That’s when they called me, and three nights in Milan has snowballed into them now visiting cities all over Italy. Taylor Swift is supporting the local economy all over the world!”
Swift is performing two shows at San Siro stadium in Milan in July.
Taylor Swift is expected to perform two shows at San Siro Stadium in Milan. (Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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“Gig tripping is one of the hottest trends in travel and much of it is thanks to Taylor Swift,” Adam Duckworth, president and founder of Travelmation, said. “We have clients booking trips all over the world to see her. Gone are the days where people see their favorite artists at their local venue. They are willing to travel as far as necessary to experience these high-energy shows.”
But Swift isn’t the only performer setting this trend.
The Jonas Brothers are on their Five Albums. One Night world tour. (Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Kris Porter, a travel adviser for the company, said he recently booked clients to see the Jonas Brothers in concert on their honeymoon.
“The groom surprised his bride with tickets in Barcelona, and they decided that would be the perfect post-wedding getaway,” Porter said. “And they are going all in with luxury hotel accommodations and high-end food tours.
“Typically, my clients to Europe go for at least 10 days, but these newlyweds are going for less than a week. They are there to see the Jo Bros, do a few local things and then head right home.”
The Jonas Brothers will be performing two shows at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona in May.
Other stars with planned world tours this year include Madonna, Olivia Rodrigo and Nicki Minaj.
