Indianapolis, IN
Taylor Swift’s Indianapolis Eras Tour shows drive record hotel, short-term rental demand
A look at Taylor Swift’s previous visits to Indianapolis
These images show Taylor Swift performances in Indianapolis from 2007 to 2018. Swift will perform in November 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Wochit
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
IndyCar race results from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
IndyCar Series drivers are on the grid in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course is set to host a day of open wheel racing.
View Indianapolis race results for the IndyCar Series below.
Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward set the front row. 85 laps laps of stock car racing are up next…
Race Report
Green flag, Alex Palou is clear out of turn one. Pato O’Ward is turned! Scott Dixon and others are collected. The caution is out.
Penalty: Felix Rosenqvist will serve a drive thru penalty for contact in turn one.
Green, Palou leads Malukas and Kirkwood into turn one.
Lap 7, Kirkwood dives inside of Malukas into turn one. Kirkwood takes 2nd away.
Lap 21, Alexander Rossi is stalled and the caution is out. Multiple pit strategies are now in play.
Palou heads for the pit lane. Power is handed the lead as Palou restarts 19th.
Green, Power leads Malukas and Lundgaard. Felix Rosenqvist jumps over the top of Kyffin Simpson, caution.
Power pits from the lead with others. Malukas is handed the lead.
Green, Malukas leads Lunagaard into turn one.
Lap 48, Malukas and others head for the pit lane. Lundgaard pits the following lap. Malukas cycles out ahead. Malukas is saving fuel.
Lap 52, Power leads Malukas by 8 seconds.
Lap 63, Alex Palou pits for the final time from 5th.
20 to go, Lundgaard and many of the leaders dive for the pit lane. A lap later, Malukas heads for the pit lane.
Malukas cycles out ahead of Lundgaard. Lundgaard trails by 1.3 seconds.
18 to go, Lundgaard is all over the gearbox of the leader! Malukas blocks the inside into turn one. He misses a shift and Lundgaard pulls on the outside. They fight for space into turn four, Lundgaard to the lead!
8 to go, Lundgaard leads Malukas by 3 seconds. He’s driving away.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Race Results
May 9, 2026
IndyCar Series
Pos | Driver
1. Christian Lundgaard
2. David Malukas
3. Graham Rahal
4. Josef Newgarden
5. Alex Palou
6. Scott Dixon
7. Louis Foster
8. Dennis Hauger
9. Kyle Kirkwood
10. Nolan Siegel
11. Marcus Armstrong
12. Kyffin Simpson
13. Will Power
14. Santino Ferrucci
15. Rinus VeeKay
16. Scott McLaughlin
17. Sting Ray Robb
18. Pato O’Ward
19. Caio Collet
20. Mick Schumacher
21. Romain Grosjean
22. Marcus Ericsson
23. Felix Rosenqvist
24. Christian Rasmussen
25. Alexander Rossi
IndyCar Series
Point Standings
Pending
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Video Highlights
Pending
Links
Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Indycar
TODAY
Early clouds give way to gradual clearing, and the afternoon turns much nicer than the damp start might suggest. Highs reach the mid 70s, with a west-southwest breeze around 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. Once we get past the morning gray, this looks like a very usable day for outdoor plans, just a bit breezy at times.
TONIGHT
Clouds increase again overnight, and scattered showers with a few thunderstorms may arrive late, mainly after 3 a.m. Lows settle in the mid 50s, with a light breeze becoming northerly late. Most of the evening stays quiet, but by early Sunday morning a few neighborhoods could hear some rain on the roof.
MOTHER’S DAY
Cooler than Saturday, with a mix of clouds and some breaks of sun along with the chance for an isolated shower. Highs top out in the mid 60s, and a north breeze around 5 to 10 mph adds a slightly cooler feel. It is not a washout, but it is also not as nice as Saturday afternoon, especially south of Indianapolis where a stray shower may hang on longer.
TOMORROW NIGHT
Partly cloudy and cooler, with lows in the mid 40s and a north northeast breeze around 5 to 10 mph. The air dries out nicely, and this looks like a quiet, comfortable night across central Indiana.
MONDAY
Bright and seasonably cool with sunshine taking over. Highs reach the mid 60s, with a light north wind around 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. This looks like one of the cleaner forecast days of the stretch, great for errands, practices, or getting outside without weather trouble.
MONDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and chilly again, with lows in the low to mid 40s and light wind fading late. Quiet weather continues, and there are no meaningful travel concerns overnight.
TUESDAY
Another decent start, then clouds begin to increase later with a chance for showers and thunderstorms after mid afternoon. Highs reach the mid 60s, with a light south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph. Most of the day still looks usable, but the late afternoon and evening carry the next better rain signal.
TUESDAY NIGHT
Showers and thunderstorms become more likely for part of the night before activity starts to ease later on. Lows hold in the low to mid 50s, with a south-southwest wind around 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. It does not look like a high-end severe setup right now, but it is enough of a signal to keep an eye on late evening plans.
WEDNESDAY
A leftover shower is possible early, then the trend turns drier with more sun returning through the day. Highs recover into the upper 60s, and a northwest breeze around 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph will make it feel a little brisker at times. The day improves as it goes, and by afternoon it should look much better than the early morning may suggest.
7 DAY FORECAST
After a milder Saturday and a small late Saturday night into Sunday shower window, the broader pattern settles down for Sunday night and Monday with quieter, cooler weather in place. The next more meaningful chance for rain arrives Tuesday into Tuesday night as another system approaches, then drier conditions return Wednesday as that system pulls away. Temperatures run in the 70s Saturday, slip back into the 60s Sunday through Tuesday, then edge a little milder again by midweek. Confidence is best in the quiet Sunday night through Monday stretch, while the exact timing of Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night rain could still wobble a bit.
Editor’s note: This interview is part of our ‘Meet the Candidates’ show. Watch past episodes here.
After working in education for about 15 years, Andrea Hunley won her first bid for political office four years ago in an Indiana Senate district covering the core of Indianapolis.
On May 8, Hunley, 42, officially launched her campaign for an office that she says feels closer to home: Indianapolis mayor.
About a year ahead of the May 2027 mayoral primary, Hunley sat down with IndyStar on May 5 to discuss what she hopes to accomplish as mayor, why her candidacy differs from her challengers, and how she thinks about hot-button issues like education, public safety and data centers.
At this point, Hunley will face longtime Indianapolis City-County Councilor Vop Osili and Department of Public Works administrator David Bride. Both candidates will also be invited for sit-down interviews with IndyStar in the coming weeks.
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
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