Taylor Swift performs during the 2019 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater. Photo: John Shearer/AMA2019/Getty Images for dcp
Taylor Swift’s The Eras tour won’t come to Charlotte, at least not during its first leg.
Driving the news: Swift announced dates and locations for the first leg of the tour Tuesday morning. She also tweeted that they’ll announce international dates as soon as they can.
Between the lines: You can’t scroll too long on TikTok without hearing, “It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem it’s me.”
- The chorus of Taylor Swift’s song “Anti-Hero” from her latest album “Midnights” has me wondering if that’s what Charlotte should be singing to the Grammy Award-winning artist.
- Swift came to Charlotte in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. She hasn’t been here in more than seven years.
Why it matters: Charlotte loves to consider itself a world-class city — and it’s been a pretty good year between hosting Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club and landing the ACC headquarters.
- But a true world-class city attracts top performers like Swift at its biggest event venue. Just look at Atlanta and Nashville.
Yes, but: Concerts at Bank of America Stadium have become more popular since David Tepper bought the Carolina Panthers in 2018. Events have more than tripled since it opened in 1996, and 39 total events are scheduled there for 2022, including concerts, football and soccer games.
- It also serves as an early voting site, as does Spectrum Center.
- Bank of America Stadium’s 2023 concert schedule currently consists of country singer Luke Combs.
Zoom out: Beyoncé’s new album “Renaissance” has fans clamoring for a tour, which the LA Times reported will begin in summer 2023.
- She’s performed in North Carolina before, including a 2013 stop at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center, which was Time Warner Cable Arena at the time. Plus she performed at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh in 2016.
Rihanna, who will perform at the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, is another artist fans are anxiously watching for news of a potential 2023 tour. She performed at Spectrum Center in 2016.
But if Swift isn’t coming to North Carolina, will Beyoncé and Rihanna?
The bottom line: You’ll have to head to Atlanta in April if you want to see Swift in concert. They landed two shows.
