Taylor Swift’s six nights in Toronto during the final leg of her “The Eras Tour” cost the city more than $3.6 million, but a report on the spending suggests that the hosting duties delivered “significant value” in return

In a briefing note about the “Swiftonomics” that followed the November 2024 residency, Toronto’s general manager of economic development and culture laid out exactly how much the city spent on hosting the sold-out dates, as well as the money it recouped.

According to the report, which city council requested, the biggest expenditure was policing the events at $2.6 million. That cost included traffic management, and safety and security at pre-concert merchandise sales, as well as the concerts themselves. The Toronto Police Service recovered $680,000 from Rogers Centre for paid duty officers, including two who were stationed at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.

The popstar was provided with a motorcade as she arrived in Toronto before the first and second installments of the concerts.

The report noted that the money spent on policing the events was similar to what it would cost to staff a major playoff game.

Other major costs related to the concerts included $1.7 million for increased TTC service over the six days. The city said TTC revenue during the concerts increased by $588,000 compared to the weeks before the event.

At least $333,000 went to the city’s transportation division, including costs associated with road operations, sign and camera installations, traffic agents, signal adjustments and staffing.

Toronto emergency management staffing costs totalled $134,000, not including the time spent on planning for the concerts.

Another $131,000 went to what the city described as economic and cultural costs, including $59,000 for a volunteer ambassador program to support the rush of fans and visitors, $47,000 for a free poetry activation before the concerts, and $25,000 for marketing the activities.

Government revenue generated by Swift concerts nearly $40 million

Prior to the concerts getting underway, Destination Toronto had predicted that the event would result in $282 million in economic impact, with roughly 240,000 people attending.

The report shows that of the $152 million in direct spending, $141 million is estimated to have come from out-of-town visitors, while $11 million came from local fans.

Of that money, government revenue totalled $39.7 million in direct and indirect spending. However, the city will only see 20 per cent of that windfall ($8 million), and the provincial and federal governments will pick up the rest, which the report notes “underscores the challenges that cities face in fully capturing the financial benefits of hosting major events.”

The city noted that hotel and short-term rental stays and spending on dining and clothes were key drivers of that economic injection during what is typically a “slower season” in late November.

It said occupancy at Toronto hotels across the city reached 80.5 per cent, which is 9.6 per cent higher compared to the same time in 2023. Short-term rental demand increased by 163 per cent over the same period city-wide.

Clothing store sales were up 49 per cent when Swift was in town and restaurant spending spike by 57 per cent week-over-week, according to data pulled from Moneris.

Was it worth it?

The report acknowledges that while its initiatives in hosting the concerts incurred costs, they also delivered “significant value by driving economic activity, promoting the city’s reputation on a global stage and by laying the groundwork for improved delivery of future events.”

As such, the city believes hosting the Taylor Swift concerts in 2024 provided it with strategic insights to host other global events, such as the FIFA World Cup this summer.

“The lessons learned from hosting the Eras Tour have laid the groundwork for Toronto to refine and enhance its approach to large-scale event planning and will serve as a valuable foundation for future events such as FIFA 2026.”