After nearly two years of planning, downtown Indianapolis' reputation will get a boost as it welcomes about 200,000 people for the final U.S. stop of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

The event, taking place Nov. 1, 2 and 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium, could be the city's busiest weekend of the year, even more so than the NBA All Star Game, the Indy 500 and the Olympic Swim Trials.

Around 81% of concert ticket holders come from abroad. Organizations predict that Indianapolis businesses could experience a hundred million economic boost.

The city invested a six-figure sum to fund decorations, including a 300-foot-tall Taylor Swift sticker on the side of the JW Marriott Hotel, changing some street signs to Eras Tour album names and hanging banners.

Chris Gahl, executive vice president of Visit Indy, said he wants to make sure visitors have a good time if they're thinking about moving to the city in the future.

“We look at weekends like this as an economic development strategy to attract visitors to our city, to our downtown,” Gahl said. “We want to show that we are capable of hosting large-scale events so that people return to conventions and meetings, to life, to work and to play. So the entire weekend is a testing ground to make sure people want to come back to our city.”

Gahl said 33,000 hotel rooms in the Indianapolis area are fully booked, which is two to three times the standard rate. Short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo also saw an increase of more than 200% compared to the same weekend in previous years. An influx of people is also expected in areas outside Marion County, such as north of Lafayette and south of Greenwood.

To help people navigate downtown, more than 100 volunteers from Butler University and Indiana University Indianapolis will wear pink T-shirts that say “Indy.”

According to the Lucas Oil Stadium website, there will be no listening areas or congestion outside the stadium for people without concert tickets.

Gahl said other cities have difficulty accommodating customers who want merchandise but don't have a concert ticket. Starting Wednesday, the Indiana Convention Center opened a second merchandise location so everyone can purchase items and experience the weekend.

Police presence

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department will have its hands full this weekend. Officers will travel in patrol cars, on foot and on horseback. Drones used by the police will also survey the area.

IMPD Deputy Chief Catherine Cummings urged motorists and pedestrians to remain patient, cautious and vigilant because “safety is a shared responsibility.”

“This is important to our city and our state alike, so just slow down,” Cummings said. “We want you to arrive safe and sound. So just shake off the frustration. Let's just shake it off. Everyone slow down, take your time and let’s get there.”

People can text Indy event alerts to 67283 to receive text messages about public safety emergencies.

Cummings wants to make sure officers are accessible. All IMPD officers will wear friendship bracelets and Cummings encourages the public to exchange bracelets with the IMPD.

“It really humanizes our police officers,” Cummings said. “We have people who are fans, maybe we even have some officers who are Swifties. It’s just fun to take part in this big event and show that we enjoy the event business.”

Road closures

IMPD plans downtown street closures to resemble a Colts game. The I-70 eastbound and westbound ramps to Meridian, Illinois and West Street will be closed at 11 p.m. The expected reopening is around 1:00 a.m. South Street from Capitol to Missouri Street and from Delaware to West Street will also be closed from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m

Monument Circle remains closed Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m

Officers are asking ticket holders to be dropped off on McCarty Street between Missouri and Capital Streets.

Carpool locations are located on South Street between Missouri and West Streets from 10:00 p.m. to approximately 1:00 a.m. The Eli Lilly parking lot at Delaware and South will also be a carpool location and a parent pickup location.

Road closures may begin earlier depending on the situation.

IMPD emphasized the importance of paying attention to no parking signs posted in the days leading up to the weekend. If someone's car is towed, they must pick it up at Auto Return at 325 South Coast Road.

Contact WFYI health reporter Elizabeth Gabriel at [email protected]