Big summer concerts at PNC Park generated $40.9M in spending

If you went to one of the big concerts at PNC Park in Pittsburgh this summer, you contributed to the city’s economy — in a big way, according to new numbers released by VisitPittsburgh on Tuesday.

According to the city’s official tourism agency, the four shows drew 160,150 visitors to the North Shore and generated an estimated $40.9 million in spending of visitors and residents.

Here’s a breakdown of the economic impact and attendance numbers of the concert series:

• Billy Joel (Aug. 11) — $7.88 million, 38,799 attendance

• The Stadium Tour: Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (Aug. 12) — $10.91 million, 43,734 attendance

• Metallica (Aug. 14) — $10.6 million, 37,888 attendance

• Elton John (Sept. 16) — $11.53 million, 39,729 attendance

During a four-day stretch in August, three major tours made stops at the baseball park on the Allegheny River. Billy Joel performed on a Thursday night delivering a set filled with his familiar tunes.

A day later on Friday, The Stadium Tour with Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, dropped into the outfield and played a six-and-a-half-hour concert of heavy rock and roll that harkened back to the 1980s metal days.

Metallica followed up on Sunday night with the loudest set of the concerts that ended with a massive fireworks display.

And Elton John’s farewell tour concert rounded out the shows with a stop this month.

VisitPittsburgh said that 60 percent of tickets were sold to attendees from outside Allegheny County, with an estimated 42 percent of overnight attendees flying through Pittsburgh International Airport.

“We are extremely proud of the hard work from so many people that led to the most successful summer concert series in PNC Park history,” said Travis Williams, Pirates president.

According to VisitPittsburgh, the estimates for the PNC Park summer concert series were calculated using information provided by the Pirates and the standard event evaluation process created by Destinations International.