From May 9 to 12, more than 160,000 spectators are expected at Paris La Défense Arena to see Taylor Swift perform her biggest hits. We attended the second show of the interpreter of Shake it Off and one particularity struck us: there are a lot of Americans in the stands. And for good reason, 20% of spectators come from across the Atlantic. That’s 9,000 fans per evening!
“I couldn’t get a place in my town”
Despite the time difference and many hours waiting for Taylor Swift to arrive under the Parisian sun, Amelia distributes her friendship bracelets in one of the many queues. She explains her presence to French fans: “I live in Los Angeles but I couldn’t get a place in my city… So, I came to Paris”. The Californian is not the only one to have made this long journey. Dozens and dozens of videos of planes full of Swifties from all over the country parade on social networks.
In the corridors of the auditorium, Kate’s eyes shine. The American who comes straight from Chicago with her teenagers and a friend explains to us: “Even with the plane and the hotel, it costs us less to spend a long weekend in Paris than to buy a single ticket in the USA. So we had time to visit the tourist places, see the Eiffel Tower and the Taylor Swift concert! »
Up to $6,500 in Canada
Across the Atlantic, Eras Tour tickets have sometimes sold for more than $1,000. “At home, in Canada, places could cost up to 6,500 Canadian dollars,” explains Catherine, who came to France with her daughter. In Paris, tickets (excluding the VIP pack) sold for between 69.50 euros and 245.50 euros. Peanuts compared to American prices… But why such crazy amounts? Among Americans and Canadians, there is no fixed price for concerts: the higher the demand, the higher the price. It can therefore reach stratospheric levels.
As for hotels, this massive arrival of tourists in France is a godsend. The reservation site Expedia recorded from its American platform a 40% increase in searches for stays in Paris on the dates of the tour. Followed by the Canadians, the English, the Germans then the Japanese… But while Taylor Swift will be in concert in Lyon on June 2 and 3, will the Americans show up en masse in the traffic jams in Lyon? Wait and see…