Calendar fills up with events inspired by Taylor Swift’s visit

Entertainment venues present Taylor Swift-themed events throughout the year, but it takes a special circumstance to land DJ Swiftie on the calendar of the Warren Performing Arts Center.

The special circumstance, otherwise known as the Indianapolis concert event of the 21st century, is three nights of Swift performances at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The shows are scheduled Nov. 1-3, and Warren Performing Arts Center will throw two Saturday dance parties to coincide with the middle date of Swift’s three-night stand. DJ Swiftie, a Nashville-based artist who frequently appears in cities where the “Blank Space” singer is performing, contacted the 1,000-capacity theater to see if he could secure a spot on the calendar.

Eric Matters, the venue’s managing director, said the theater isn’t a risk-taker when scheduling events. Warren Performing Arts Center—part of the Warren Central High School campus—weighs artist fees, equipment costs and the potential for ticket sales before saying “yes.”

Factor in the buzz surrounding Swift’s concerts, Matters said, and two editions of a “TayTay Dance Party” made sense.

“Her being in town creates its own level of hype,” Matters said. “We’re trying to utilize and piggyback on that.”

This strategy isn’t unique. Sites ranging from The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to Victory Field are hosting Swift-themed parties that aren’t officially affiliated with the 14-time Grammy Award winner. And these “inspired by” events make it clear that Swift will not be in attendance.

These gatherings cater to concertgoers who might want to prepare for “The Eras Tour” experience or keep the energy going after a show. The parties also appeal to people who don’t have concert tickets but want to hang out with fellow fans.

Ancillary events contribute to the math of economic impact, which Newsweek magazine reported as potentially $10 billion for “The Eras Tour” that began in March 2023 and will wrap up in December after nearly 150 performances.

When Swift headlined a pair of 2023 shows at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium, Visit Cincy and the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s Center for Research and Data estimated that people spent $92 million on hotels, concert tickets, transportation, food and beverages.

Matters, the Warren Performing Arts Center executive, said he’s grateful that Indianapolis made the list of tour stops.

“She could just stick to bigger cities,” he said. “She could be up in Chicago, dealing with them all the time, and just pass right over us. I’m glad she’s in town. I think it’s a good thing.”

Indiana story

It might be common knowledge among Swift’s fans that the singer made a music video in Indianapolis. In 2008, Scottish Rite Cathedral served as the setting for a video to accompany the song “Change.”

The Indiana State Museum, which is presenting its Tay/gate parties 3-7 p.m. Nov. 1-3, explored additional Swift trivia in blog posts devoted to the city where she opened her first solo headlining tour (Evansville) and the Indiana millionaire who was the great-grandfather of Rebekah Harkness, who inspired Swift to write 2020 song “The Last Great American Dynasty” (William Stuart Culbertson).

Katherine Kite, the state museum’s director of corporate relations, said Tay/gate attendees will encounter a detail-oriented party setting. A replica of Swift’s purple “Enchanted” gown will be displayed for photo opportunities, a phone booth will be available for placing “Reputation” calls, and a participatory art exhibition will feature shredded letters penned to former significant others.

The museum, which launched ticket sales for Tay/gate on Swift’s 34th birthday, Dec. 13, 2023, is using the parties to raise funds for the not-for-profit’s operations.

Kite said about 1,000 tickets, priced $40 to $100, have been sold for each day.

In addition to attendees from New York, California and Washington, a Swift fan from Iowa recently sent an appreciative email.

“They said, ‘We’re just so glad to be a part of this,’” Kite said. “They’re not going to the concert. They’re just coming to be part of Indianapolis during Taylor Swift. They found our event and said, ‘This is the next best thing.’”

Price of admission

Part of the state museum’s fundraising efforts included the auction of two suite tickets for Swift’s Nov. 3 show. The winning bid on Sept. 23 was $7,500.

“I think she’s a once-in-a-lifetime pop star and musician and songwriter,” Kite said of Swift. “But I think there’s so much more that she stands for, that I personally enjoy. Obviously, museum people and everybody else have their own preferences. But I think everyone can get behind how much she can bring to a city and bring people together.”

On Sept. 21, Carmel’s Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts auctioned two pairs of Swift concert tickets donated by Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics. Each ticket package included floor seats, $250 toward dinner at Harry & Izzy’s restaurant, plus chauffeur service to and from downtown.

Two winning bids of $12,000 were made during the Palladium’s annual Center Celebration. On Jan. 11, the Palladium will present two shows by tribute act Let’s Sing Taylor. Tickets are priced $15 to $75.

For Swift fans who purchased Lucas Oil Stadium tickets at face value, prices ranged from $49 to $499.

The resale market on Oct. 1 showed a range of $1,521 to $10,302 for Nov. 1 tickets at vividseats.com and a range of $1,496 to $8,406 for Nov. 1 tickets at stubhub.com.

Among the “inspired by” events on the local calendar, a relative bargain is found at the Children’s Museum, which is charging $23.50 to $29.75 for admission to its Swiftie Par-Tay.

Allison Stitle, the museum’s associate vice president for experience development and family learning, said three daytime Swiftie Par-Tays were scheduled to help the museum connect with a major event in the city.

“Certainly we want to tap into education, but we also want to tap into that multigenerational memory-making and fun,” Stitle said. “When there are events that are unique and special to the city, it’s fun to be creative and think about how we can celebrate those things to make it even more exciting when visitors come.”

Attendees will have the chance to dance in the museum’s Sunburst Atrium, make bedazzled slime at the STEM lab, and check out a dress Swift wore on a 2009 episode of television’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

The Children’s Museum scored marketing points this summer by placing Swift-themed friendship bracelets on outdoor dinosaur sculptures. Stitle said a Hula-Hoop for humans is the appropriate size to fit on a dinosaur’s “wrist.”

Charms strung on the hula hoops were crafted in house.

“They’re actually made out of Styrofoam, and they were all hand-painted by a staff member,” Stitle said.

On the doorstep

You don’t need to have a Swift concert ticket to attend the Swift + Shimmer Pre-Party events scheduled Nov. 1-3 at the Heirloom at N.K. Hurst, 230 W. McCarty St.

But the Heirloom’s on-the-doorstep proximity to Lucas Oil Stadium makes it a logical spot for fans with concert tickets.

“They will be able to get into the city early, get parked and enjoy some food and beverages,” said Amanda Van Der Moere of Crystal Signature Events, which manages the event venue. “Lucas Oil Stadium’s parking lot is directly connected to Heirloom. It’s a straight shot right to the stadium.”

Admission to the Swift + Shimmer Pre-Party is $95, or $150 for VIP tickets. Onsite parking is available for $50 per space.

Van Der Moere said the Heirloom is limiting ticket sales to 300 at the 600-capacity space to allow ample room for what’s planned at the party. The list includes themed photo opportunities, music, food and beverages.

VIP tickets include access to a private lounge and interactions with kittens supplied by IndyHumane. VIP attendees also will receive a swag bag of “concert-going essentials.”

Crystal Signature Events will host a handful of local influencers at the Swift + Shimmer Pre-Party, including theCityMoms founder Jeanine Bobenmoyer, TikTok personality Caitlin Nickel and home decor expert Lindsey Black.

Because there’s plenty of competition on the pre-party landscape, Van Der Moere said influencers can attract local attendees.

“We’re trying to get the word out as best as we can and just bring awareness to the event,” Van Der Moere said.•