Should musicians stop touring?

Multiple concerts travelling around the world have a big impact on the environment.

Taylor Swift's Eras tour has been record-breaking. Not only is it the highest-grossing music tour ever, earning over £760 million, but fans in Seattle, in the US, produced a "Swiftquake" - a ground-shaking tremor that was the same strength as a 2.3 magnitude earthquake while dancing to the song Shake it Off. However, the tour has also set records for its environmental impact.

US electricity company Payless Power estimates that for travel alone, Eras has used up as much energy as 67 homes consume in an entire year. Given the threat of climate change (the long-term change in world weather patterns), should musicians stop touring?

Tour travel

Bands and singers tend to travel by private jet, because venues are often thousands of miles apart. In the UK, music tours generate 85,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), are a major cause of climate change, because they trap heat in the atmosphere and make the planet hotter. For the Eras tour, Taylor Swift is estimated to have flown 27,000 miles, producing 511 tonnes of CO₂- the same as charging 33,744,692 smartphones. Not only do the artists have to travel, but their equipment does, too. For Beyoncé's Renaissance tour, over 160 vehicles were needed to move the stage between cities.

Singalong at home