Minneapolis prepares for massive crowds for Pride, Taylor Swift concert
MINNEAPOLIS— It's set to be a busy weekend in Minneapolis. Between the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, Twin Cities Pride Festival and the Kiwanis International Convention, tourism experts expect 500,000 people in town.
Meet Minneapolis, a tourism bureau, says its Super Bowl-sized crowd.
"We mainly want people to have a great time this weekend but more importantly come back and visit us again," Meet Minneapolis President and CEO Melvin Tennant said.
Tourism leaders say the Minneapolis bounce back has been slow and the city not back to pre-pandemic levels. Recently, though, they're seeing positive signs.
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Last Tuesday, hotels in town were at a 96 percent occupancy, which is the highest seen so far this year. This weekend, Meet Minneapolis expects to see several sold-out nights. To put it into perspective, after the city hosted the Super Bowl in 2018, it generated an economic impact of $450 million.
"I can't estimate that it will be at that level," Tennant said. "But it will be huge for us and most importantly for the workers. We have over 30,000 workers in the hospitality industry that work I this industry to take care of their families and be able to fill their financial obligations. I'm mostly excited about that."
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Bottom line, with an influx of people this size, expect crowds and traffic in Minneapolis this weekend.
Meet Minneapolis has some great tips and guidance on parking and transportation here.