Taylor Swift rewards team with $197 million in bonuses as Christmas gift
During her two-year “Eras Tour,” Taylor Swift not only paid off the stage, but also the people behind it. According to PEOPLE, the singer has given out $197 million in bonuses to tour staff and performers, in addition to their regular salaries. The list includes: truck drivers, caterers, instrument technicians, merch team, lighting and sound, production and assistants, carpenters, dancers, band, security, choreographers, pyrotechnicians, riggers, makeup/hair, wardrobe, physical therapists and video crew.
In August 2023, when she wrapped up the first leg of her North American tour, PEOPLE reported that Swift had dished out over $55 million in bonuses. This time, the total for the two-year tour comes to $197 million.
The tour kicked off in March 2023 in Glendale, Arizona, and concluded with a final show on December 8, 2024 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. On stage, Swift thanked the audience for the global journey, calling the Eras Tour one of the most intense and challenging experiences of her life. Then, before the setlist ended, she told the crowd that it was the “most exciting chapter” of her life so far.
After the 149th and final show, her company Taylor Swift Touring confirmed to The New York Times that:
-10,168,008 people attended the tournament
-$2,077,618,725 tickets sold in total
Making the Eras Tour the highest-grossing ticket tour in history, according to the cited report.
In addition to the tour, Swift closed 2024 with another success: “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book” sold about 814,000 copies in the first two days, marking the strongest launch of the year. Meanwhile, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music announced that she was the most streamed artist of 2024, and her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” was the most streamed album of the year.
Although the Eras Tour "era" ended in December 2024, Swift enters 2025 with high expectations: she is in the running for 6 Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year for TTPD.
