In May, Taylor Swift will perform three concerts at Friends Arena in Solna, which will be her only tour stop in the Nordics. Concertgoers are expected to spend half a billion during their time in Stockholm. This is according to new calculations by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with arena operator Stockholm Live.
– Taylor Swift attracts visitors from all over the world. When Friends Arena is filled with visitors, it also means significant revenue for hotels, restaurants and shops. Taylor Swift's visit is therefore a real hit for Stockholm's economy, says Carl Bergkvist, chief economist at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.
The expected economic impact amounts to just over SEK 471,900,000. Four out of five visitors travel to Stockholm and in total guests are expected from more than 130 different countries.
– Concertgoers don't just spend money on the ticket, they also spend on restaurant experiences, hotels, shopping, SL tickets and perhaps a guided tour. This is the biggest event in a long time and it will be noticeable for the tourism industry, says Carl Bergkvist
The calculation produced by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce is based on what visiting guests consume in connection with the concerts. This includes accommodation, restaurant costs, transport and other shopping, but not travel to Stockholm or the cost of concert tickets. The calculation is based on statistics from similar events.
– Concerts and sporting events are important for Stockholm's economy, but we cannot rely solely on international artists attracting visitors to Stockholm. We must become even more attractive as a tourist destination on our own merits, says Carl Bergkvist.
Arena operator Stockholm Live, which is responsible for operating Friends Arena, is experiencing strong interest from artists to come to the capital.
– Stockholm has unique conditions to be a truly important event city in Europe with the fantastic range of arenas and stadiums we have here, and we see a lot of pressure and interest from both artists and audiences from all over the world to come here. We also see that international visitors are happy to come back to the city for more events, which is of course an extremely good rating, comments Anna Sjölund, content manager for Europe at ASM Global /Stockholm Live.
A total of around 150,000 people are expected to see Taylor Swift at Friends Arena.
According to the press release.
