Indianapolis, IN

Taylor Swift’s Indianapolis Eras Tour shows drive record hotel, short-term rental demand

Published

5 months ago

July 10, 2024

Taylor Swift’s Indianapolis Eras Tour shows drive record hotel, short-term rental demand

Four months out from the final concerts of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, short-term rentals and hotel vacancies are nearly booked for her stop in Indianapolis at the start of November, as out-of-town fans comprise the majority of ticket holders.

In the midst of a potentially record-breaking year for the city’s tourism, Indianapolis hotels and short-term rentals have had extremely high demand throughout the year because of large one-off events such as the NBA All-Star Game in February, the total solar eclipse in April and the Olympic Swim Trials in June.

But no event in 2024 will bring as many visitors to Indy as the hundreds of thousands of Swifties, who will descend upon the city in November for three nights of sold-out shows at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Hotel rooms across the city are virtually sold out for that weekend at prices three times higher than those in 2023, said Chris Gahl, executive vice president of Visit Indy.

“We know 87% of those clutching a ticket to step inside Lucas Oil Stadium for the concerts are from outside the [metropolitan area,] another strong tourism indicator,” Gahl said.

Short-term rental bookings are up 207% compared to last year during the same weekend, Gahl said.

The Circle City has seen a 7,000% surge in searches year-over-year for Airbnb short-term rentals during the first weekend in November, according to an Airbnb report on the impact of Swift’s concerts. In comparison, Airbnb recorded a 2,000% surge in Indianapolis for the solar eclipse.

Search surges give an idea of how many people are considering a trip to a city during a specific date range. Airbnb does not track booking or occupancy rates due to a potential influx of supply as dates get closer. Plus, most short-term rentals can be cancelled just a few days before a stay.

How it happened: Indianapolis lands Taylor Swift second Eras swing in 2024

The statistics show the strength of Swiftie “passion tourism” that drives fans to travel to great lengths to see their favorite performer. Thousands of Americans have traveled to see Swift play in Europe, where tickets tend to be cheaper and more accessible, said Haven Thorn, a spokesperson for Airbnb.

“These are folks that are more interested in the ‘what’ than the ‘where,’ and they’re traveling for Taylor Swift,” Thorn said. “And Americans accounted for more than a third of all the bookings on Airbnb in Europe during her tour.”

All three of Swift’s Indianapolis shows at Lucas Oil, which can hold nearly 70,000 people, sold out almost immediately, meaning upwards of 200,000 fans will be in attendance over the course of the weekend for Swift’s last concert in the United States.

Indianapolis’ search surge is 14 times higher than it has been for rentals in Miami, which saw a 500 percent increase in searches during the weekend Swift will perform in October and twice as high as the surge for the final 2024 dates in Vancouver.

Hotel rooms going for more than $500 a night for Swift concert weekend

The frenzy of visitors booking stays for the concerts has created headaches for even the most meticulously planned trips by Swifties.

Gracie Smith already saw Taylor Swift live last year and the 25-year-old from Atlanta knew she had to see Swift again when she announced more U.S. stops at the end of 2024.

After persuading her sister, cousin and aunt to accompany her to Indianapolis, Smith searched for hotels that were close enough to walk to the stadium, as the group would not have a car over the weekend, and eventually settled on a room at the Sheraton downtown. They booked it for $457 per night, more than Smith’s initial budget.

Then in January, the group’s room was spontaneously cancelled and a review of bank statements showed no charge was ever attempted for the room.

Scrambling, Smith and her relatives called the hotel every day for a month in search of an explanation. Eventually, Marriott offered them a room at another Marriott-owned hotel, the Courtyard Marriott near Victory Field.

Their new room was roughly $120 more per night, making their nightly hotel cost almost $600. Smith said she has seen firsthand how prices to see Swift have soared since her last tour in 2018, when Smith traveled to Dallas for a concert.

“We thought that it was expensive in 2018, but now we look back at it and think ‘Dang, we really should have taken advantage of it,” she said.

Indiana Airbnbs: Whether you’re bringing a date or book, these cozy Indiana Airbnbs could be right for you

How much would going to a Taylor Swift concert cost?

Any out-of-town fans scoring last minute tickets and travel will face limited options and hefty prices for lodging, though there is still some availability.

On Tuesday, Airbnb search results showed the cheapest price for a two-night stay that November weekend at $188 for a private room in a residence and more than $400 for an entire unit in or near Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, the cheapest hotel room for two people is more than $500 per night after fees, based on prices pulled from an Expedia search on Tuesday.

Currently, the cheapest concert tickets are at least $2,000 apiece on ticket resale sites.

Alysa Guffey covers retail growth and development as well as the economy for IndyStar. Contact her at amguffey@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @AlysaGuffeyNews

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Indianapolis, IN

Colts vs Titans TV coverage map in NFL Week 16

Published

6 minutes ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Colts vs Titans TV coverage map in NFL Week 16

The Indianapolis Colts host the Tennessee Titans in NFL Week 16 action as the Colts try to remain in the AFC playoff race.

The CBS game will be shown in only the Indianapolis and Nashville NFL markets. It will also air in much of Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee, and in parts of Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

When do the Colts play the Titans in NFL Week 16?

1 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

How to watch Colts vs Titans in NFL Week 16

CBS, with Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), and Ross Tucker and Jay Feely (analysis).

How to stream, watch Titans-Colts game for NFL Week 16

The Colts-Broncos matchup will stream on Paramount+ at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. The app is available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play. Fans can also download NFL+ in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.

Colts 2024 schedule

all times ET

Sept. 8: Texans 29, Colts 27

Sept. 15: Packers 16, Colts 10

Sept. 22: Colts 21, Bears 16

Sept. 29: Colts 27, Steelers 24

Oct. 6: Jaguars 37, Colts 34

Oct. 13: Colts 20, Titans 17

Oct. 20: Colts 16, Dolphins 10

Oct. 27: Texans 23, Colts 20

Nov. 3: Vikings 21, Colts 13

Nov. 10: Bills 30, Colts 20

Nov. 17: Colts 28, Jets 27

Nov. 24: Lions 24, Colts 6

Dec. 1: Colts 25, Patriots 24

Dec. 15: Broncos 31, Colts 13

Dec. 22: vs. Tennessee, 1 p.m., CBS

Dec. 29: at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m., Fox

Jan. 5: vs. Jacksonville, TBD

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Indianapolis, IN

Analyst Predicts Close Call Between Titans, Colts

Published

8 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Analyst Predicts Close Call Between Titans, Colts

The Tennessee Titans may be out of the playoff picture, but they find themselves in a big game against their AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts.

The Titans can play spoiler for the Colts, who need to win to hold onto their faint playoff hopes, by eliminating them from playoff contention in a win.

However, CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco doesn’t believe that will end up being the case. He predicts that the Colts will pull out a 24-17 win against the Titans.

“The Colts are alive in the playoff race — barely. The Titans are done and might be making a quarterback change. The Colts did some good things in losing to the Broncos last week in a game they should have won. They bounce back here. Colts take it,” Prisco writes.

The Titans are certainly an underdog considering the fact that they are on the road and have won only three games all year long.

However, we have seen how difficult it can be for divisional opponents to sweep a season series, and the Colts came away with the win when the two teams met in Nashville during Week 6.

The Titans are coming into the game with a massive chip on their shoulder and a new source of energy with Mason Rudolph taking over as the starting quarterback after Will Levis was demoted earlier in the week.

The Titans have the ingredients necessary for a win against the Colts, but they still have to execute their plan in order to leave Indy on a happy flight home to Tennessee.

The Titans and Colts are set to kickoff at 12 noon CT tomorrow inside Lucas Oil Stadium. The game can be watched on CBS or streamed on Paramount+.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Indianapolis, IN

Colts’ Most Crucial X-Factors for Titans Clash

Published

16 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Colts’ Most Crucial X-Factors for Titans Clash

The Indianapolis Colts (6-8) are prepped for an AFC South clash at home against the Tennessee Titans (3-11), with still plenty on the line. If the Colts win this game, their slim playoff hopes stay alive at 15%. However, a loss destroys every probability of this happening, dropping Shane Steichen’s troops to 1% (NFL.com).

What this means is Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor, and the offensive line must operate better than against the Denver Broncos, but the defense and Gus Bradley must carry over their performance at Mile High.

With Indy’s 15th game nearly here, these are the two X-Factors for the offense and defense (minus Richardson) most crucial to Indianapolis walking out of Lucas Oil with their seventh win on the season and with postseason aspirations still breathing.

Offense | Josh Downs

Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (all-white uniform) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Jets (green uniform).

Nov 17, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (1) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Colts’ second-year wide receiver Josh Downs has emerged as the most reliable target for Steichen’s offense throughout 2024. The former North Carolina Tarheel has reeled 56 catches on 86 targets for 626 receiving yards (11.2 average) and four touchdowns.

After being sidelined with a shoulder injury, Downs is ready to bounce back from his underwhelming three-catch, 32-yard performance at Mile High. The Titans are a gritty defense, and Downs will face off against Tennessee’s slot cornerback Roger McCreary. Downs dominated in the first meeting, catching seven of nine targets from Joe Flacco for 66 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Expect Richardson to look Downs’ way often, especially considering that Alec Pierce (concussion) won’t suit up for this one. While Michael Pittman Jr. and AD Mitchell will get their fair share of throws, Downs is the safety blanket and most reliable pass-catcher.

The Colts have to get Richardson into a rhythm throwing the football to help the young field general over the 50% completion hump; the best way to do that since there’s nearly no tight end receiving production is getting Downs the football. Expect at least eight-plus targets for Downs on Sunday.

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Defense | Laiatu Latu

Colts' defensive end Laiatu Latu (all-white uniform) gets ready to try and get past an offensive lineman.

Nov 17, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets offensive tackle Olu Fashanu (74) blocks against Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu (97) during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

After a rocky start to his rookie campaign, the Colts’ rookie 15th overall selection Laiatu Latu is finding his footing in the NFL. Along with Kwity Paye, the two have combined for 10 sacks, with Latu accounting for four. Latu also has Pro Football Focus grades of 72.7 overall, 72.9 pass-rush, and 64.3 run. While the last can improve, Latu is getting to where he needs to be under Charlie Partridge.

Against the Titans, Latu will have a chance to feast on a struggling Tennessee offensive line. The Titans’ protection ranks 28th in Pro Football Focus team grades for pass-blocking (56.6), so there’s areas where Latu can exploit.

While offensive tackle JC Latham has an acceptable pass-blocking grade (66.8), he’s second on Tennessee in pressures allowed (37) behind only fellow tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere (39). Latu has a chance to wreck Mason Rudolph with constant pressures that might lead to opportunities for sacks. For the year, the former UCLA Bruin has 34 pressures and will have a clear path to success against Latham and Petit-Frere.

Expect Latu to have a field day when taking snaps against Tennessee on Sunday, with a great chance at a sack or more.

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