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23.07.2024

What mobile phone data reveals about the “Swifties”:Taylor Swift activates Generation Z in Germany

Mobile data usage in the stadium reached new heights
US superstar Taylor Swift is currently thrilling fans in Germany. As part of the “Eras” tour, she is playing seven sold-out concerts in Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg and Munich. A mobility analysis by telecommunications provider O2 Telefónica and analysis partner Invenium, based on a concert at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, provides insights into the composition of the “Swifties” in Germany.
Thomas Treß
"The analysis reveals that Taylor Swift attracts a predominantly young target group in Germany that is at home in the digital world. Generation Z has grown up with smartphones and uses mobile data intensively to share their experiences online. This underlines the important role that high-performance mobile networks play in the lives of young people,” explains Thomas Treß, Senior Product Manager Big Data and data analysis expert at O2 Telefónica.
The analysis is based on data from the concert on July 18, which was attended by over 60,000 fans. The mobility analysis is based on anonymized and aggregated data that reveals fundamental trends but does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about individual people.

Diversity of fans – one third belong to Generation Z

According to the analysis, a third (32%) of all visitors belong to the 18 to 29 age group and thus to Generation Z. Female fans make up 57% of concertgoers, with more than a fifth of all visitors to the stadium being young women aged 18 to 29. The actual number of young fans is likely to be significantly higher, as only contracts from adults (18+) were taken into account in the analysis. The remaining spectators are spread across all age groups.

International appeal: US fans travel after their star

The fans use around 3700 gigabytes of mobile data volume in the O2 network within the Veltins-Arena
The international presence at the concerts is also remarkable. According to the analysis, almost 12% of fans came from abroad. Based on the projections, more than 2% of all visitors to the stadium came from the USA. "American fans are the largest international fan group. They far exceed the number of fans from neighboring German countries. The analysis thus confirms the theory that they follow their idol across continents,” explains Thomas Treß. According to the analysis, there were more than twice as many US-Americans at the concert as fans from Berlin, who made up around one percent.
They were followed by fan groups from the neighboring countries of the Netherlands and Belgium, whose journey to Gelsenkirchen was not quite as long in comparison. Then come the “Swifties” from the United Kingdom, Poland, France and Austria. The analysis also records smaller fan groups from India, China, Australia and Canada.

Germany-wide interest

The majority of visitors, around 80%, traveled from North Rhine-Westphalia on the day of the concert. The districts of Gelsenkirchen, Recklinghausen, Essen, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Bochum and Dortmund topped the list. Tourists who took the concert as an opportunity to stay overnight and go sightseeing in the region were also among the visitors. Lower Saxony and Hesse followed with 4.2 and 4.1 percent of fans respectively who arrived on the day of the concert. The concert was nevertheless an event with nationwide relevance, attracting people from all 16 German states. According to the analysis, around one in a hundred visitors traveled from the German capital Berlin. Fans came from cities such as Munich, Leipzig, Hamburg, Bremen, Saarbrücken, Magdeburg, Hanover and Mainz as well as from the districts of Oberhavel, Grafschaft Bentheim, Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm and Leer (Ostfriesland). The longest journey was made by German fans from the district of Berchtesgadener Land - almost 800 kilometers away from the Veltins-Arena.

Record-breaking figures – “Swifties” drive up mobile phone usage

The young spectator group has taken mobile data usage in the stadium to a new level. On July 18, the “Swifties” used around 3,700 gigabytes of data volume within the Veltins-Arena on the o2 Telefónica network. Activity on social media such as TikTok, Instagram and WhatsApp reached new heights, especially in the hour before the concert began.

“Swifties” beat AC/DC and European football fans

| Altan KENDİRCİ (edited)
Football fans at the European Championship top match between Spain and Italy on 20 June used around 40 per cent less mobile data in the Veltins Arena
Taylor Swift fans thus put other major events such as the European Football Championship or the rockers from AC/DC in the shade. AC/DC fans only used around half as much mobile data (approx. 1,750 gigabytes) at their concert in the Veltins Arena Gelsenkirchen on May 17. The soccer fans at the top match between Spain and Italy on June 20 during the Euro 2024 championship used around 2,600 gigabytes of mobile data in the Veltins Arena, around 40 percent less than the “Swifties”.
The mobility analysis by O2 Telefónica shows that Taylor Swift's “Eras” tour has not only captured the hearts of German fans, but also brought together an international community in the stadium. The artist's next stops are Hamburg's Volksparkstadion on July 23 and 24, followed by two concerts in Munich on July 27 and 28.

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