Tens of thousands of Swifties are about to descend on New Orleans for the pop star’s global Eras Tour three-night stop at the Superdome. And, whether you’re a Taylor Swift fan or not, the city is going to feel it.
The official concert dates are Oct. 25 through 27. But locals should expect to see an influx of people the whole week leading up to the shows.
“We are anticipating large crowds literally throughout the entire city,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell during a press briefing about the city’s preparations on Friday. “That’s what we are preparing for.”
Law enforcement officials say they’ll roll out extra patrols around the Superdome, Central Business District and French Quarter for security. And businesses and cultural organizations are propping up dozens of ancillary events to make the most of the Swift tsunami.
City prepares 'Taylor Swift week' spirit events
If you aren’t planning to shell out a cool $1,000 for tickets, there are plenty of Swift-themed events on the calendar to get your fix.
The city has set up its own “spirit week” to honor the pop star’s arrival.
Officials will spend Monday gathering video shout outs from students at New Orleans high schools to post on the city’s YouTube channel.
Then, on Tuesday, the city will hold a donation drive with Second Harvest Food Bank. The pop star has made a habit of donating to local food banks in each city the tour visits.
Later in the week, Mayor Cantrell will hold a Swift-themed voting awareness event and present a key to the city to Swift over a social media announcement. Friday, the first night of concerts, has been deemed a city-wide “dress like Taylor Swift fashion day.”
“We are built to host,” Cantrell said. “We are just happy for this and we're using this tour really as a precursor for hosting the Super Bowl in the city of New Orleans.”
Hotels at ‘100% capacity’
The influx of visitors is expected to be a big economic boost to the city. The U.S. Travel Association estimates that the average Taylor Swift fan spends an average of $1,300 on travel, hotels, food, and other merchandise on their journey to the Eras Tour.
Hotel rooms across the city are completely booked out Thursdaythrough Saturday, said Mary Beth Romig Haskins, associate vice president of communications for New Orleans & Company, the city’s tourism marketing agency.
“This is really unprecedented even for us,” Romig Haskins said. “We're at 100% occupancy.”
Dozens of special events are happening at restaurants, hotels and clubs across the Warehouse District, CBD, French Quarter and beyond. Louis Armstrong International Airport will have a Swift-themed karaoke station set up.
Even the New Orleans aquarium is planning to debut special friendship bracelets on the city’s penguins in honor of the show, she added.
“If you can’t find something Swifty to do, you’re not looking hard enough,” Romig Haskins said.
In conjunction with the shows, the city has scheduled a free, three-day “Embrace the Culture” festival at Duncan Plaza. The event will have live music from local artists, food trucks and art from 7 p.m. to midnight.
Law enforcement ups presence
Officials say public safety is their top priority throughout the week, especially since the concerts coincide with other tourist-heavy events like Halloween and the Pelicans opening basketball game on Oct. 23.
Due to the packed schedule, the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness will activate the city’s Emergency Operations Center for the week, said Collin Arnold, the agency’s director.
“These Taylor Swift crowds are a lot of parents and a lot of teenagers, especially teenage girls,” Arnold said. “We want to make sure that everybody is safe and has a great time here and that there's no danger for them.”
The New Orleans Police Department will have extra foot and bicycle patrols throughout the CBD and French Quarter.
Weather forecasts so far look favorable for the weekend. Arnold encouraged residents to sign up for NOLA Ready text alerts if they haven’t. Officials will roll out any updates about traffic, parking or emergency situations through there.
Parking, traffic and rideshare tips
Traffic is going to be a doozy. The streets most likely to see congestion are around the Superdome: Poydras Street, Canal Street, Loyola Avenue and Convention Center Boulevard.
To cut down on traffic outside of the Superdome, the city set up an official pickup zone for rideshare apps like Lyft and Uber at Duncan Plaza.
The Regional Transit Authority will operate its regular bus and streetcar service schedule.
Officials asked for patience from the public for what’s expected to be a historically busy weekend in the Big Easy.
“Be on the lookout and just be very aware of your surroundings,” Arnold said. “I think that in the downtown area, we’re prepared and we’re going to be in good shape.”
