Get the latest gossip

Will Taylor Swift provide a £1bn boost to the UK economy?

Barclays’ analysis may be slightly off the mark, but the megastar is tapping into a new trend in spending

Swift will kick off the UK leg of the Eras tour in Edinburgh next month with three nights at Murrayfield Stadium, before playing Liverpool, Cardiff and London – and returning to the capital in August for a final five dates. She is not the first music star credited with creating economic ripples: when Beyoncé toured Sweden last year she was blamed for an unexpected blip in inflation, as the price of hotels and restaurant meals temporarily rocketed. Even if the £1bn could be taken at face value, some economists are sceptical about whether Swift will really be a one woman economic boon for the UK economy – not least as, however much she spends on private jet landing fees, she is likely to take much of the tour revenue back home with her.

Get the Android app