If you saw a live show in 2023, you were in good company—total grosses for the year’s top 100 tours (led by, yes, Taylor Swift) set a new record, at $9 billion, with more than 70 million tickets sold. That’s not just music to the industry’s ears, it’s also good for tourism. Restaurants, shops, rideshare operators and hotels thrive on big arenas hosting big names.

Music tourism is the phenomenon that sees fans travelling (to other cities, provinces or countries) to catch a favourite artist’s show. It’s no longer about just making the journey for a three-day music festival. These devotees are booking holidays around a single concert. Take the hundreds of thousands of Swifties who will flock to Toronto for the performer’s six-show stint in November. When the tour was announced last year, there was a huge uptick in searches for flights and hotels in the area. Today, concerts are experiences that transcend music and delve into exploring another city’s culture.

Seeing a beloved artist perform in a new city can be an exhilarating adventure, especially if you follow these simple tips:

• Overestimate travel time. Don’t plan to arrive at your destination the day of the show—in case of delays or cancellations.
• If accommodations near the venue are cost-prohibitive, consider booking a room farther afield, close to public transit options.
• If you’ll be driving to the venue, plan where you’ll park.
• Go to a spot nearby (a restaurant, for example) after the concert to avoid the chaos of trying to get a rideshare at the actual venue.

The Big Gigs

These concerts struck the right note with fans globally—as of press time, they’re among the most-attended shows in history.

Rod Stewart (Brazil, 1994) 4.2 million fans

Metallica, AC/DC, The Black Crowes, Pantera (Russia, 1991) 1.6 million fans

Madonna (Brazil, 2024) 1.6 million fans

The Rolling Stones (Brazil, 2006) 1.5 million fans

Various artists Live 8 (fight against poverty; Philadelphia, 2005) 1.5 million fans

Enjoy the show and the trip. Visit caasco.com/hotels to save on hotels with your CAA Membership.