TAYLOR Swift will continue to break and break records this summer.
The Cruel Summer star, 34, is taking a deep breath before jumping head first into a packed European leg of her hit Eras tour.
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Taylor will perform 51 shows in 13 countries over the next five months as she looks to break the staggering numbers racked up in 2023, when she became the first artist to gross more than $1 billion on one tour.
The reported $1.04 billion eclipsed previous record holder Elton John, who earned $939 million from his Farewell Yellow Brick Road shows in 2022/23.
The legendary English singer played an astonishing 328 shows – that’s more than five times the number of performances Taylor played last year.
GOODS MADNESS
She extended this year’s tour from 60 to 152 — but it’s Swifties’ voracious appetite for merchandise that sets the 34-year-old sensation apart.
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US Sun spoke to two well-placed experts – one specializing in music industry merchandising strategy and the other specifically involved in the European leg of the Eras tour.
Both were shocked by the projected increase in last year’s $250 million in sales of T-shirts, posters and other merchandise.
Sources claim that during the Asian swing earlier this year, more than 100,000 items were sold online in one day, not counting sales inside packed arenas and stadiums.
“We have never seen this before,” said one of the experts.
“I worked with Michael Jackson, but nothing came close to what Taylor is doing.”
Ticket sales alone are expected to raise more than $2 billion – breaking the record from 12 months ago.
And since the start of the year, around $80 million has been raised with a wealth of Swift memorabilia flying off the shelves.
“No other artist can dream of earning $20 million in merchandise sales while on tour,” added the business strategy veteran.
“Millions of fans are waiting for this to happen and are saving money to spend it on their favorite artists.
“The tour is the biggest one ever, and Taylor is the most famous artist in the world, and they want to have their part in history.”
INSANE NUMBERS
Taylor is predicted to gross another $120 million in Europe, where she will perform sold-out shows in France, Portugal, England, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Spain, Wales, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands.
“We expect the numbers to be absurdly high,” confirmed the expert.
MONEY MAKING MACHINE
Taylor Swift sold more than 4.3 million Eras Tour tickets, with an average price of US$239.95. That means she grossed $17 million per show.
The 2023 Eras tour grossed a record $1.04 billion from just 60 shows.
The former record holder – the legendary Elton John – earned around US$900 million from more than 300 performances.
Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour grossed $776 million across 257 shows, while iconic rockers U2 played 110 shows on their 360 Tour and saw $735 million grossed.
Swift broke attendance records at several stadiums, including New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, which had a three-day total of 217,635 spectators, and she set single-day records in Pittsburgh and Nashville.
There is also an expectation that many fans residing in the United States will make a pilgrimage to Europe for a show.
When the tour returns to North America later this year, total merchandise sales are expected to exceed $500 million.
“Selling over half a billion dollars worth of merchandise is absolutely unbelievable,” the source said.
“Taylor Swift will make history once again.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
