When the Fool in Love festival was announced, my jaw dropped—and not only because the unbelievably stacked one-day lineup raises concerns of a potential Fyre Festival situation for the AARP crowd. I was counting my lucky stars because this concert would grant me the opportunity to see Shalamar in Los Angeles, when previously, I had been concocting a scrupulously ill-conceived plan to get to Holmfirth, England. While my crush on Howard Hewett may be unrelatable in the 21st century, I am far from alone in planning my travels around a concert.
Concert tourism stole the show in 2023 and is expected to continue to shine in the year to come. According to StubHub’s Year in Live Experiences report, travel to international events by U.S. buyers was up 80% in 2023, with concert tours as a standout phenomena. When it comes to jet setting for setlists, the Unpack ’24 travel trends from Expedia Group found that 70% of survey respondents would be more likely to travel to an out-of-town concert than one close to home, with over 40% interested in traveling to a concert as a way to visit somewhere new. Leading ladies such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé drove the economy—the former songstress quite literally, as Lyft found that total number of rides went up an average of 7.6% when a city hosted an Eras concert, with Nashville seeing an especially notable jump of 25%.
Whether you have been riding the concert tour-tourism wave forever or are looking for the perfect show to dip your toe in the waters for the very first time, let RHC be your guide. With glamorous hotels, bars and bottles all around the globe, we’re gonna make this a night to remember.
Vegas is Calling
Lauded as the #1 greatest show in Las Vegas history, Absinthe is reason enough to book it to Sin City: a jaw-dropping, adults-only circus and burlesque experience produced by the world-renowned entertainment company, Spiegelworld. Check out Atomic Saloon Show for more deliciously salacious comedy and mayhem through the Wild West as it never was.
And London Too…
The Era of Taylor Swift continues across the pond. Fancy a stay at NoMad London, an elegant hotel tucked inside the historic Bow Street Magistrates’ Court and Police Station in Covent Garden that masterfully melds grand and intimate, classical and colloquial, festive moments of revelry, and quiet meals that nourish the spirit. For more excitement in the Swinging City, catch a course at Swingers Crazy Golf.
Euro Girl Summer
“Paris is always good 4 u” – Audrey Hepburn, essentially. In between singing your guts out to Olivia Rodrigo’s discography, pamper yourself with Hotel Fouquet’s Paris, which boasts iconic views over the Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe. Pro tip: sunset and a spritz at Le Marta Rooftop. If a trip to the Old World is not in the cards, pour up your elixir of choice with Gin Mare, which distills the Mediterranean lifestyle into a bottle.
Domestic Bliss
One need not travel far for an adventure of a lifetime. Folk crooner and sad-babygirl darling Noah Kahan takes to Nashville, TN to sing some of his biggest hits such as Dial Drunk and She Calls Me Back. Keep the music ringing at Analog, a state-of-the-art destination for musicians and audiophiles tucked inside Hutton Hotel. Westward in Colorado, a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a must for any music lover: a stunning marvel of ochre sandstone with impeccable natural acoustics that has hosted endless musical legends. Limelight Denver presents a cosmopolitan chicness meets mountainside ease that’s right in the heart of the Mile High City’s action.
Festivals and reunions and grand tours, oh my! The high season of live music awaits—are you planning to travel for a concert?
