Fans Are Traveling More Than Ever for Concerts in 2026
Emerging fan trends are reshaping how music lovers plan and experience the biggest concert tours and festivals of 2026, signaling a shift toward travel-driven fandom. A new study by Airbnb has revealed the changing travel trends are morphing.
Music-Related, Fandom-Driven Travel Is Soaring
Travel-driven fandom refers to traveling to see an event, such as a sports game or a concert, rather than to enjoy the destination itself. Fans are no longer content to wait for their favorite artist to visit their hometown and are instead crossing state lines to catch performances. Meanwhile, Gen Z is fueling a rise in “groupie getaways,” which turn concerts into event weekends, and “show hopping,” in which travelers plan a vacation to catch multiple live acts. As a result, some of the world’s most popular artists have sparked dramatic spikes in travel interest.
Korean boy band BTS leads the surge with a nearly 600 percent increase in searches for stays in the city, followed by Noah Kahan and Ariana Grande at 200 percent each. Ed Sheeran has likewise seen an increase of 170 percent, while Bruno Mars has seen an increase of 130 percent.
Music Festivals Are Also Benefiting
Music festivals also saw a huge increase in search traffic, much of that occurring before solid dates and lineups were announced. Searches for Coachella rose by more than 70 percent, with 55 percent of the searches made in September before the acts were revealed. with more than 55% of searches made in September when the lineup was announced. Lollapalooza searches were up by 40 percent, including a nearly 40 percent increase in searches by out-of-state travelers–again before the dates and acts were unveiled. Meanwhile, searches for the Ultra Music Festival climbed by 10 percent, including an approximately 15 percent increase in searches by international travelers.
“This summer, some of the world’s biggest artists with devoted fans are lighting up stages across the US,” the study reads. “In Boston–a major tour stop this summer–excitement is off the charts, with triple-digit spikes in guest searches in the city during the two-week period after their tour announcements. For several artists, it’s their first headline tour since 2019, making these shows even more coveted.”