When the Beyhive swarmed Sweden,Slabu they didn't just bring the buzz, they also brought inflation.
That's because fans' pilgrimage to Stockholm for Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour sent hotel prices in the country's capital skyrocketing, Danske Bank Chief Economist Michael Grahn told the Financial Times.
The "Beyoncé blip," as he calls it, had a "very rare" effect on Swedish inflation, bumping it up 0.2% in May. Beyoncé played two shows in Sweden on May 10 and 11.
"Beyoncé is responsible for the extra upside surprise this month," Grahn told the Financial Times. "It's quite astonishing for a single event. We haven't seen this before."
Sweden's headline inflation was 9.7% in May, down from 10.5% the month prior, Swedish government data shows. But while consumer prices in Sweden are moderating, prices for a large swath of goods and services, including hotels and restaurants, rose. Hotel and restaurant prices increased 3.3% from April to May, according to Statistics Sweden, an organization that publishes the country's inflation reports.
The Renaissance World Tour is on track to clinch the title of highest-grossing tour of all time. The series of stadium performances, named after Beyoncé's new album, is the megastar's first time performing in seven years, Billboard reported. As a result, fans are clamoring to get their hands on tickets.
During the first round of ticket sales for Beyoncé's concerts, fan demand exceeded the number of available tickets by more than 800%, Ticketmaster said in a statement in February.
While Beyoncé's modest "blip" effect on an entire country's inflation is far from usual, it isn't the first time a singer's fanbase has pushed up consumer prices.
The cost of a one-night stay at some hotels in Nashville nearly quadrupled during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour performances in the city in May, the Tennessean reported. Her fans also smashed records for hotel bookings in Chicago.
2025-05-05 16:141106 view
2025-05-05 16:02932 view
2025-05-05 15:40234 view
2025-05-05 14:44473 view
2025-05-05 14:382857 view
2025-05-05 14:211899 view
Listen to an audio version of this story below.Humans have the technology to literally make snow fal
A mother and daughter were arrested in Louisiana this week for allegedly using fraudulent paperwork
Five dogs were killed in an RV fire the day before a dog show was set to begin in Florida, officials