The “Swifties”, Taylor Swift fans, will take Lyon by storm during the American megastar’s concerts on June 2 and 3. The event constitutes an exceptional tourist bonanza for the city.
The concert tickets were snapped up in a few minutes. On June 2 and 3, Taylor Swift will perform in Lyon at Groupama Stadium as part of her “Eras Tour”. Thousands of fans are therefore expected for the event in Lyon. A significant windfall for the city’s tourism sector.
Taylor Swift is a true phenomenon. Nicknamed “miss americana“, she is a genius business woman and has hundreds of millions of fans around the world. She is even believed to have the power to influence the politics or economy of a country. That’s saying something. his coming to Lyon will not go unnoticed.
One month before the event, social networks are on alert. Good accommodation deals, ticket resale, bars and restaurants… groups of fans share their best finds in Lyon to get the most out of the event. More than 100,000 spectators from around the world are expected. “OI can say that I live his words: “I have numbered the days, I have counted the kilometers to see you there.” 10,747 kilometers to be exact!” testifies Naomi Imbang, 28 years old, who will come from the Philippines, because she was unable to obtain a concert ticket in Asia.
His case is far from being an exception. Rhonda Nye couldn’t even get an access code to access the ticket office in her country, Canada. So it was quite natural that she chose to take tickets for the Lyon concert. She will go there with her husband and her children aged 6 and 12. “If it wasn’t for Taylor, we wouldn’t have made this trip at all” says this fan, who recognizes that it will cost the family more than “10,000 euros”but without regret: “Is it worth it for this unique experience”. “Instead of spending $2,000 on a ticket and accommodation in Toronto, We decided to fly to France” supports Lenka, 55, who will come with her daughter, her niece, and her sister-in-law. For her, the bill is less hefty: The ticket, flight and hotel cost around 1,330 euros per person.
A historic mega concert which will be accompanied by significant economic benefits. A real boon for the Lyon tourism sector, which has high hopes for the event. The city, although having the second largest hotel capacity in France, is preparing to be taken by storm. It has 272 establishments and around 20,000 rooms.
“As soon as the concert dates have fallen, the next day or the day after, we was complete”confides, on condition of anonymity, the receptionist of a Lyon hotel five stars. Currently, 80% of hotel rooms are already reserved for June 2 and 3, according to the tourist office, against 30% usually. At the same time, the average price of a hotel room increased by 54% over these few days. For example, the Maison No hotel is full on June 2 at an average rate of 300 euros, compared to 140 euros in normal times.
For its part, the events sector also intends to ride the phenomenon swifties. Caroline Falezi, an American sommelier based in Lyon, has organized a tailor-made series of events which combine discovery of the Lyon region with the world of the singer. Dinner between “Swifties” in a “cap”, karaoke And “lipstick bar” in a Beaujolais castle or brunch with drag queens… she put together an enticing program. “I wasn’t a Swiftie to begin with, but when the dates were announced, I got a few reservation emails, and I said to myself that it was a great opportunity”, says the 36-year-old sommelier. Since then, she has even created a Facebook page to unite the Lyon public.
Like those of Taylor Swift, mega concerts have multiplied in Lyon since the end of Covid. They represent a new tourism and challenges for the tourism sector in Lyon.
