13 June 2024 , 15:25
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As Taylor Swift takes on her worldwide Eras Tour, fans from the UK and beyond are travelling across the country to witness the pop sensation perform over 15 dates between June and August.
Swift has already delivered three spectacular nights at Edinburgh's renowned Murrayfield Stadium, with performances in Liverpool, Cardiff and London on the horizon.
However, with some fans shelling out hundreds just for a fleeting glimpse of the star during her ongoing tour, how much more could Swifties still searching for accommodation have to spend if they plan to stay overnight?
Airbnbs in Liverpool - where Swift kicks off a three-night stint this Thursday (June 13), have seen an average price surge of 103.26% per night, according to data from AltIndex.
Cardiff fares the best, with the city's properties experiencing a modest increase of just 18.3% - but the singer is only performing for one night at the Welsh venue.
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Edinburgh witnessed the most significant price spike, with a whopping 223.47% increase in Airbnb accommodation last weekend, averaging £769 per night.
The data across Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff examined Airbnb prices for the exact same dates but one week before, during and one week after to determine the average costs to stay.
For the London dates, the study investigates the price hikes in nearby hotels, focusing on those within a three-mile radius of Wembley Stadium.
Data from June and August shows that nearby hotels in London experience an average price increase of 103%, with the price derived from what should be the cheapest available room.
Taylor fans aren't happy about the issue and have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to moan about the costs of stays.
One fumed: "Surge pricing should be banned, if a hotel room near a venue or stadium is £50 on a normal weeknight then it's completely unacceptable for it to be £300 just because Taylor Swift or another popular artist is in town."
While another added: "My youngest works at a hotel in Liverpool while at Uni. The prices have increased by 600% while #TaylorSwift is in town for 3 nights."
A third also joked: "My house is walking distance to the Aviva. Maybe I could rent if for the week and retire early."
Many also said they'd had their bookings cancelled, claiming many companies were doing this so they could charge higher prices.
"The hotel I booked last July for our trip to see Taylor Swift in Edinburgh next month, has just cancelled my booking," one person wrote. "I have flights, concert tickets, and 15 years of waiting to see her live. Hotel prices are £800+. I’m heartbroken and at a bit of a loss of what to do."
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Another added: "Lol, booked a room for €265 (£224) on the Friday to take the 12-year-old to the gig. Cancelled as its 'double booked'. Nothing to do with them quadrupling their price."
While a third chimed in: "Not to alarm the swifties pay for your hotels now because i just had to rebook one and pay for it as my original hotel that i literally booked a year ago cancelled my booking to inflate the prices LMAO."
Airnbnb said in a statement: "These prices are for unbooked accommodation and do not reflect the average price offered on Airbnb during Taylor Swift’s tour in the UK. The average price for booked accommodation on Airbnb in Liverpool, Cardiff and Edinburgh for the concert dates is around £233 per night.
"The typical host in the UK shares their home for an average of three nights a month giving locals an opportunity to earn much-needed additional income at a time when accommodation is in high demand."