A £200m gift from Taylor Swift…Scotland’s economy enjoys major boost

• More than 200,000 music fans descend on Scotland’s capital as US singer kicks off the first of the three UK Eras tour shows
• Each Swiftie expected to spend an average of £848 as they fork out on hotels, restaurants, taxis and other expenses

Taylor Swift fans are set to give Scotland’s economy a boost of up to £200million as they descend on the capital for her three sell-out shows starting tonight.

They have already been queueing in their hundreds to get their hands on the first official merchandise, while others have been camping out to secure the best spot to watch the megastar.

Ellie Poulter, 19, one of the 200,000 fans who are expected, made the near 400-mile journey from Oxford, turning up yesterday with just a tent, duvet and some clothes.

However, the superfan’s dedication paid off – she was the first to pitch up outside Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium.

American sensation Ms Swift will kick off the first of the three UK Eras Tour shows at the city venue this evening, when she will perform more than 40 songs over three-and-a-half hours.

Over the course of the weekend, fans – ‘Swifties’ – are expected to spend an average of £848 as they fork out on hotels, restaurants, taxis and other expenses.

Many have already spent hundreds of pounds on accommodation, with some hotels charging as much as £1,600 a night.

Recent data from Barclays revealed in a ‘Swiftonomics’ report that fans of the superstar are set to inject around £185million into Scotland’s economy.

The bank reckons that fans will be spending an average of £121 on accommodation, £111 on travel and £56 on food.

Global travel platform Hello-tickets estimates the concerts will attract up to 100,000 extra visitors to the city. Tourist spend alone could reach up to £76.5million, including as much as £15million in restaurants and cafes and £45million on hotels, some of which could see their revenue increase by up to 300 per cent.

It said: ‘These figures highlight how a single event can inject tens of millions of pounds into the local economy, benefiting businesses, workers and public services.’

Dr Peter Brooks, chief behavioural scientist at Barclays, said: ‘Whoever came up with the phrase “money can’t buy happiness” clearly wasn’t a Swiftie.

‘There’s growing evidence that spending on experiences boosts happiness and wellbeing more so than purchasing physical items, especially if that experience is shared with friends and loved ones.

‘When it comes to cultural icons like Taylor Swift – like we saw with Elvis and Beatlemania in the 50s and 60s – supporters have such a strong connection to the artist and to the rest of the fandom that the desire to spend becomes even more powerful.

‘For non-fans, £848 may seem like an enormous amount to splash out on a concert – but for Eras Tour ticketholders, every pound they spend is an investment in the memories they’ll create.’

VisitScotland estimates tourists are likely to spend an average of £75 each on memorabilia and gifts alone during their stay, which could raise as much as £7.5million for the local economy.

Signs have already started to appear in shop windows welcoming fans to the city, with ‘In My Swiftie Era’ T-shirts going on sale at various outlets.

And as drone footage showed the stadium being prepared ahead of her first performance, the arena has temporarily rebranded its Scottish Gas sponsorship to ‘Scottish Lass’ in anticipation of the 34-year-old star’s arrival.

Even Edinburgh Zoo has joined in Swiftmania, naming two critically endangered cotton-top tamarin monkeys after the star.

The tiny animals, named Taylor and Swift, were born on Tuesday at the zoo to first-time mother Elf and father Zecca.

Lorna Hughes, primate team leader at Edinburgh Zoo, said it was ‘incredibly exciting’.

The zoo is offering fans attending the concert a 25 per cent discount entry to its site in nearby Corstorphine from today until Sunday.

The singer is reported to have Scottish heritage on her mother’s side and is said to be a big fan of Scottish animals, owning two Scottish Fold cats.

Her Edinburgh performances follow her hugely successful shows in Sweden, Portugal, Spain and France, with her European tour kicking off in Paris last month.

American pop-punk band Paramore will be supporting Ms Swift during her three Edinburgh gigs.

Fans can expect to see several new looks from the star’s extensive wardrobe, including a red sparkling bodysuit for the opening section of the show.

She is also expected to perform a portion of the concert dedicated to her Tortured Poets Department album in a cream ballgown. The tour is themed around the different ‘eras’ Ms Swift has created during her career, with dedicated sets for each of her 11 studio albums.

The Wildest Dreams singer will be in Edinburgh until Sunday. Then she will move on to perform three nights at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium, followed by a performance at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and three back-to-back shows at Wembley in London.

She will also play three nights at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.